How Big Is Central Park? Discover Its Size by Miles, Acres, Kilometers, and More!

Written by Kristin Hitchcock
Updated: June 12, 2023
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Central Park is one of the biggest urban parks in the world. It’s absolutely massive compared to many other parks. It’s located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. Central Park is also the most visited urban park in the United States, hosting 42 million visitors annually.

The park also has several attractions, including a zoo, museum, carousel, lakes, fountains, theaters, and a skating rink.

Below, we’ll take a look at how large this park is, as well as how it compares to other parks.

MeasurementLength
Miles1.317
Acres843
Kilometers3.41

How Big is Central Park in Miles, Acres, and Kilometers?

Central Park is about 1.317 miles. It extends between 59th and 110th streets (about 2.5 miles) and Fifth and Eighth Avenues (about 0.5 miles). This size makes it exceptionally large compared to many other parks in New York. It is the fifth-largest park in New York City.

Central Park occupies an area of 843 acres, making it the largest public park in Manhattan. It is 3.41 kilometers long.

How Does it Compare to Other Parks in the World?

Cherry blossoms in Central Park, New York City.

Central Park ranks between 18th and 25th on the list of the largest parks in the world.

©Kristjan Veski/Shutterstock.com

Central Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world. However, it is not the largest. The largest urban park in the world is actually Chugach State Park, which is in Anchorage, Alaska. This park covers an area of 495,199 acres.

New York’s famous park ranks between 18th and 25th on the list of the largest parks in the world, depending on the measurements you’re using.

There are many other parks larger than Central Park, including Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa; Margalla Hills National Park in Islamabad, Pakistan; Forest of Fontainebleau in France; and Gatineau Park in Canada.

How Long Does It Take to Walk Around Central Park?

Dog Park Series - New York

How long it takes you to walk around the park depends largely on how fast you walk.

©ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock.com

The walking distance around Central Park depends on the route that you take. The full loop that walks all the way around the park is 6.1 miles. It goes around the entire perimeter. However, there are also several smaller loops you could take, too.

For instance, the lower pool is 1.7 miles and goes around the southern end of the mark. The middle loop is four miles and goes around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

How long it takes you to walk around the park depends largely on how fast you walk. If you take the time to see the sights, it will take you longer. If you don’t stop much, it will take about 2.5 miles to walk around the full loop at a leisurely pace. However, if you want to explore the park’s attractions, such as museums, monuments, gardens, and lakes, you might want to spend more time there.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Kristin is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering dogs, cats, fish, and other pets. She has been an animal writer for seven years, writing for top publications on everything from chinchilla cancer to the rise of designer dogs. She currently lives in Tennessee with her cat, dogs, and two children. When she isn't writing about pets, she enjoys hiking and crocheting.

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