First pick
Forêt de Verrières
Wood or forest
602 ha59.5 km of path
13 h 15 minto walk all 59.5 km of path
3 km north-eastfrom the center
Chemin des PinsRoute de la ChâtaigneraieRoute de la Boursidière+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot · Public domain20%woodland
Outdoors in Igny · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Igny has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns
21 km of footpaths cross Igny (5.5 km per km²). Waymarked hiking routes add up to 7 km in Igny. No protected area reaches Igny; the nearest, Verrières nature reserve, is 2.7 km from the town center. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Verrières nature reserve, 2.7 km
Woodland
20%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
21 km
5.5 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
7 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
9
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Forêt de Verrières
Throughout this page, the Essonne median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Igny?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A place of footpaths5.5 km per km² of mapped footpath, against 1.7 km per km² for the median compared town.On waymarked routes7 km of GR and other hiking routes cross the commune.Protected land nearbyVerrières nature reserve is 2.7 km from the town center.
What sets Igny apart: its footpaths, then its hiking routes.
Against French towns
How Igny compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland20%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
63out of 100
Footpaths5.5 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
92out of 100
Hiking routes1.8 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
95out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Igny has the 3rd most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (10,661 to 11,013 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Vitry-le-François (9.3 km per km²) to Lavaur (0.3 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitry-le-François Marne | 9.3 | 10% | 0% | 266 km |
| 2 | Beaumont Puy-de-Dôme | 6 | 2.4% | 0.1% | 255 km |
| 3 | Igny Essonne | 5.5 | 20% | 0% | 156 km |
| 4 | Bondoufle Essonne | 5.3 | 7.9% | 0% | 173 km |
| 5 | Ormesson-sur-Marne Val-de-Marne | 5 | 6.8% | 0% | 164 km |
| 6 | Dinard Ille-et-Vilaine | 5 | 7.9% | 100% | On it |
| 7 | Vétraz-Monthoux Haute-Savoie | 4.8 | 18% | 0% | 284 km |
| 8 | Le Pradet Var | 4.6 | 11% | 43% | On it |
| 9 | Chanteloup-les-Vignes Yvelines | 4.4 | 21% | 0% | 126 km |
| 10 | Le Pont-de-Claix Isère | 4.3 | 15% | 2.9% | 198 km |
| 11 | Déville-lès-Rouen Seine-Maritime | 4.3 | 19% | 0.1% | 49 km |
| 12 | Épinay-sur-Orge Essonne | 4.3 | 10% | 0% | 165 km |
| 13 | Chantepie Ille-et-Vilaine | 3.5 | 4% | 0% | 53 km |
| 14 | Maromme Seine-Maritime | 3.4 | 39% | 0% | 48 km |
| 15 | Croissy-sur-Seine Yvelines | 3.3 | 2.5% | 0% | 139 km |
| 16 | Allonnes Sarthe | 3.2 | 15% | 0% | 134 km |
| 17 | Étaples Pas-de-Calais | 3.2 | 29% | 7% | On it |
| 18 | Thouaré-sur-Loire Loire-Atlantique | 2.9 | 9.4% | 25% | 49 km |
| 19 | Stiring-Wendel Moselle | 2.8 | 3.4% | 0% | 360 km |
| 20 | Tinqueux Marne | 2.8 | 2.4% | 0% | 196 km |
| 21 | Annœullin Nord | 2.8 | 4.2% | 0% | 68 km |
| 22 | Passy Haute-Savoie | 2.4 | 29% | 44% | 246 km |
| 23 | Amnéville Moselle | 2.3 | 12% | 0% | 315 km |
| 24 | Urrugne Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 2.3 | 23% | 28% | 3.1 km |
| 25 | Châteaugiron Ille-et-Vilaine | 2.2 | 2.3% | 0% | 62 km |
| 26 | Wambrechies Nord | 1.9 | 2.9% | 0% | 57 km |
| 27 | Saint-Martin-Boulogne Pas-de-Calais | 1.7 | 8.3% | 0.1% | 2.1 km |
| 28 | Trets Bouches-du-Rhône | 1.7 | 18% | 34% | 28 km |
| 29 | Oloron-Sainte-Marie Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 1.3 | 52% | 4.8% | 83 km |
| 30 | Léognan Gironde | 1.2 | 39% | 0% | 30 km |
| 31 | Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone Hérault | 1.2 | 0.7% | 52% | On it |
| 32 | Fondettes Indre-et-Loire | 1.1 | 15% | 5.3% | 180 km |
| 33 | Saint-Saulve Nord | 1.1 | 8.2% | 0.3% | 105 km |
| 34 | Tarare Rhône | 1.1 | 41% | 0% | 261 km |
| 35 | Erstein Bas-Rhin | 0.9 | 32% | 38% | 459 km |
| 36 | Orthez Pyrénées-Atlantiques | 0.9 | 21% | 25% | 57 km |
| 37 | Parempuyre Gironde | 0.9 | 6.7% | 8.1% | 6.3 km |
| 38 | Pont-Saint-Esprit Gard | 0.8 | 5.3% | 14% | 89 km |
| 39 | Boulazac Isle Manoire Dordogne | 0.7 | 48% | 0% | 108 km |
| 40 | Brissac Loire Aubance Maine-et-Loire | 0.5 | 13% | 39% | 124 km |
| 41 | Lavaur Tarn | 0.3 | 9.6% | 0.8% | 125 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Igny
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt de Verrières leads, at 602 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Bois du Chat Noir
Wood or forest
209 ha20.8 km of path
4 h 35 minto walk all 20.8 km of path
1.4 km north-westfrom the center
Chemin Rural Numéro 14 du Chat Noir à VauhallanRoute du CordonChemin de la Voie Creuse+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Espace Naturel de Vilgénis
Park or garden · 300 m outside the commune
18 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the center
Allée des Marronniers
Directionsto a point inside
Parc Ratel
Park or garden · 300 m outside the commune
5.9 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
2 km northfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Square Paul Cézanne
Park or garden · 10 m outside the commune
0.7 ha0.3 km of path
1.3 km south-eastfrom the center
Square Paul Cézanne
Directionsto a point inside
Zone de Compensation de la ligne 18 du Grand Paris Express
Wood or forest · 150 m outside the commune
4.2 ha
1.4 km southfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
square du Pileu
Park or garden · 10 m outside the commune
0.3 ha0.2 km of path
1 km south-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Square des Sablons
Park or garden
0.2 ha0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Igny
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt de VerrièresWood or forest · 602 ha · 59.5 km of path
DirectionsBois du Chat NoirWood or forest · 209 ha · 20.8 km of path
DirectionsEspace Naturel de VilgénisPark or garden · 18 ha · 1.8 km of path · just outside
DirectionsParc RatelPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 1.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsSquare Paul CézannePark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsZone de Compensation de la ligne 18 du Grand Paris ExpressWood or forest · 4.2 ha · just outside
Directionssquare du PileuPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside
DirectionsSquare des SablonsPark or garden · 0.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSquare du Clos du PileuPark or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Verrières nature reserve is the nearest protected area, 2.7 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Nature reserve
Verrières nature reserve
2.7 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Igny
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
21 km
5.5 km per km²
Hiking routes
7 km
waymarked: 1.8 km per km²
Woodland
20%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
IgnyEssonne medianFrance median
Footpaths5.5
Hiking routes1.8
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
IgnyEssonne medianFrance median
Woodland20%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 92% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 63% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Igny is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
14 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)PR (local walk)Other named walk
GR 117.1 km
PR 119 km
PR 61.2 km
De la Bièvre à l'Orge15 km
Chemin de Trèves, Igny - Rambouillet7 km
Entre jardins et forêt6.8 km
Chemin de Trèves, Claye-Souilly - Igny5 km
Les Rigoles du Plateau3.4 km
Boucle de 27,7 km depuis la gare RER Sceaux3.2 km
Parcours Principal2.9 km
Boucle Forêt2.4 km
Via Turonensis, Orsay - Palaiseau1 km
+2 more
GR 11 passes within 2 km of Igny.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Igny: April and June to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Paris-Montsouris, 13 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.8 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 8 |
| Rain (mm) | 48 | 42 | 45 | 46 | 69 | 51 | 59 | 58 | 45 | 55 | 54 | 62 |
February is the driest month (42 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 69 mm of rain falls in May, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 21 nights a year. The climate in Igny →
Neighbors
Next to Igny
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
BièvresPalaiseauVerrières-le-BuissonMassySaclayVillebon-sur-YvetteIgny
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igny | 0% | 20% | 5.5 |
| Bièvres 4,686 · 2.3 km | 0% | 31% | 3.5 |
| Palaiseau 37,471 · 2.5 km | 0% | 18% | 5.9 |
| Verrières-le-Buisson 15,057 · 3.1 km | 3.9% | 52% | 8.5 |
| Massy 51,729 · 3.5 km | 0% | 5.3% | 9.4 |
| Saclay 4,437 · 3.9 km | 0% | 7.5% | 1.6 |
| Villebon-sur-Yvette 10,291 · 4 km | 0% | 23% | 3.8 |
Bièvres and Verrières-le-Buisson are more wooded.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Igny
Is Igny in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Verrières nature reserve, 2.7 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Igny?
OpenStreetMap maps 21 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 5.5 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 7 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Igny is woodland?
20% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Igny near the sea?
No: the coast is 156 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Igny?
April and June to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated October 30, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.