How Far Did the Characters of the Walking Dead…Actually Walk?
Find out how much ground the cast covered, and which survivor walked the farthest.
Survivors Go the Distance: Which Character Walked the Farthest on the Walking Dead?
Just how far would you go to survive? In the Walking Dead that question is metaphorical as well as very, very literal! As the name implies, the dead are always walking: and staying ahead of them means you’re constantly on the move. But just how far has each character in the Walking Dead walked so far?
Daryl is the ultimate Walking Dead survivor, making appearances from Season 1 to 11—so it’s no surprise to see him taking the top spot with 2,057 miles!
Eugene Porter may have talked the talk to get himself in with his group of survivors, but deceptive resumes aside he can also walk the walk. Eugene slots in at No. 2 with 1,917 miles—just 140 behind Daryl.
Carol Peletier undergoes some major changes throughout the show, and her inner transformation covers some external distance. She’s No. 3 with 1,545 miles under her belt.
It all started with Rick Grimes, but his journey is only No. 4 in terms of miles covered at 1,330. Rosita Espinosa finishes out the Top 5 with 1,311 miles. Check out the graphic for the rest of the Top 10!
A Simple Question: HFWAWWIAWWTETWD?
We’ve all wondered from time to time: HFWAWWIAWWTETWD? So, just how far would a walker walk if a walker walked the entire The Walking Dead?
A Pretender might walk 5,000 miles and then 5,000 more for love, but a walker will walk even more. (assuming Daryl doesn’t get to them first!) A walker who followed Rick and all of the rest of the survivors through the entirety of The Walking Dead would have to cover 14,266 miles to keep up!
More than 14,000 miles is a long way to go. How long would it take the undead to shamble through every step? Well, if we assume an average walking speed of 2 mph it would take a walker 7,133 hours to make the trip.
That amounts to 297 days to catch up to where we left the cast of TWD at the end of season 11, part 2.
Marathoning Your Favorite Arc: Which Season Covers the Most Distance?
It’s been a long road for the cast of TWD, but some seasons definitely covered more ground than others! Let’s take a look at the numbers to see when our survivors were wearing out their soles along with all of that soul searching.
Season 7 and Season 10 are in a tight race for covering the most distance, but even though Season 7 unfolds over only three weeks the distance covered wins out with 3,226 miles! Season 10’s struggles with Whisperers took place over 3,196 miles, just 30 miles less.
After those two long-distance outliers, season 9 slots in at No. 3 with about half that distance: a still respectable 1,574.6 miles.
Seasons 4 and 5 take spots 4 and 5, coincidentally, with 1,182.5 and 1089.1 miles respectively. The numbers dwindle from there all the way back to where it all began, where our survivors covered 364.74 miles in season 1.
Survive, Thrive… or Die: How Would You Handle the Outbreak?
Be honest. Are you going to survive the initial outbreak? KURU Footwear polled Americans, and more than half of people (53%) think they would get past those first days. And some of you are already making moves: 34% of those surveyed said they already have a zombie survival plan in place.
Just under half (48%) of you think you would be able to defend yourselves against zombie attacks. Which could be a problem, since only 44% of people feel like they would be up to handling severe medical emergencies amid the hordes of undead.
Folks feel a little more confident in their less violent abilities, so not brawn but braaaaaaaaains. 56% of people think they would be able to find shelter, and 55% say they would be able to secure drinking water in a zombie apocalypse. And that growing confidence extends to growing things: 56% of people say they could garden to sustain themselves.
Of course, surviving the outbreak is often more about the team you build than the skills you have on your own. So, which member of The Walking Dead cast would most people want by their side during an outbreak? Based on the data above it’s not too surprising the popular choices are all handy with weapons.
Daryl was the top choice for a zombie survival team, and after everything he’s been through: we get it. Rick Grimes comes in at no. 2: no word, though, if people are thinking before or after he gets his iconic “murder jacket.” Carol and Michonne are also popular picks, coming in at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. Michonne and her sword definitely can steer you clear of several sordid situations.
Avoiding Dead Ends
Maybe your zombie survival plan is an elaborate masterpiece with every contingency covered. Or maybe your foolproof plan is to tag along with someone like Daryl. Whether you’re calling the shots or just trying to keep up, foot pain is the last thing you need. Two-thirds, 66%, of Americans believe gas and vehicles would be scarce during a zombie apocalypse, and that a comfortable pair of shoes would be important.
You don’t want to become a zombie, and you don’t want to feel dead on your feet at the end of a long work day. Outfit your zombie survival kit (and your closet) with footwear that keeps you moving, so you can keep up with the people you love.
Methodology and Sources
Methodology
KURU Footwear surveyed 1,000 Americans 18 years and older with a margin of error of +/- 4% and a confidence level of 95%. The survey results were weighted to reflect characteristics of the United States population using available data from the US census.
We asked Americans whether they believed they could survive a zombie apocalypse and for how long. The survey also asked whether or not respondents felt capable of defending themselves against zombies, seeking shelter, attending to medical emergencies, etc.
To determine how many miles each of The Walking Dead characters have walked throughout the series, we analyzed 792 key scenes of the TV series and their filming locations.
We then matched the distances between these locations with character appearances. Using the methodology listed below, we attributed 20% of the distance traveled by each character to walking. The remaining 80% encompasses time spent traveling by vehicle or other means.
To estimate how much time characters spent walking versus traveling by other means, we took the following steps:
We compared the average daily distance driven per day according to AAA’s American Driving Survey against our survey data regarding average distance walked.
We determined that in 2022, the average American travels by vehicle 89% of the time, and walks 11% of the time. We adjusted this ratio to 80%/20% for The Walking Dead characters due to the scarcity of reliable vehicles and gasoline.
To determine how many miles a walker would walk if they were to walk the entire distance of The Walking Dead, we summed the total distance between filming locations for Seasons 1 - Season 11 Parts 1 and 2. We used an average walking speed of 2 miles per hour to determine how many hours and days it would take a walker to travel this distance.
Sources
1. KURU Footwear proprietary survey of 1,000 respondents
3. Google Maps
4. Character Appearances (TV Series) | Walking Dead Wiki
5. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
This content is administered by KURU Footwear and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with The Walking Dead, AMC Studios, or its partner entities.
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