Most front walks end up one of two ways after dark: too dark to see the edge, or lit like an airport runway with two perfect rows of lights facing each other. Both come down to spacing. Here are the numbers that get it right, and they take five minutes to lay out.

The short answer

Space standard path lights 6 to 10 feet apart. Wide-spread fixtures can stretch to 10 to 14 feet. Set each one 12 to 18 inches in from the edge of the walkway, so the light lands on the path instead of in the grass.

Stagger them, don't line them up

The single biggest improvement is to alternate sides: one light on the left, the next on the right a few feet further along. Matching pairs directly across from each other are what create the runway look. Staggered, the path reads as a gentle line that leads to the door.

Steps get their own rule

For outdoor stairs, use at least one light per step or riser. On a wide staircase, add a fixture roughly every 3 to 4 feet across the width. The step you cannot see on the way down is the one that matters most, and a low light at the edge of each tread does more than one bright floodlight above, which only blinds you.

How many do you need?

Measure the walk and divide by your spacing. A 40-foot front path at 8 feet apart needs about 5 or 6 lights. That is why most path lights are sold in packs: one lamp does not light a walkway, a line of them does.

Solar or wired?

If there is no outdoor outlet near the path, solar is the easy answer: each light carries its own panel, you push it into the soil, and there is nothing to trench. The trade-off is brightness. Solar path lights mark a line; they do not flood an area. For a walkway, marking the line is exactly the job. Read more in our guide to garden lighting with no wiring.

Lights that fit this guide

• Lumitierra Alisio — low solar path lamp, in packs of 2, 4 and 8. From $34.95.
• Lumitierra Salina — stainless steel solar path light, the one to pick near the coast. From $29.95.
• Lumitierra Romero — garden stake light for the edge of a path or a flower bed, packs of 2 to 10. From $27.95.
• Lumitierra Sendero — solar step light, packs of 1 to 20, for one light per step. From $14.95.

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