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Urban growth and development depends on both the local hydrologic conditions and how water resources are procured and managed. The objective of this study was to assess the water security of large urban areas based on their physical hydrology, existing water supply infrastructure, and water management institutions. This study examined 108 large cities (>750,000 people) in the United States (n = 50) and Africa (n = 58), encompassing a broad range of hydrologic and socio-economic conditions, including degrees of institutional complexity. Urban water availability was estimated as the volume of water available from local, natural water sources, as well as water captured via infrastructure such as reservoirs, wellfields, or water transfers. Urban institutional complexity was assessed based on ability to provide, regulate and maintain urban water supplies. Over half of the cities in this study rely on captured …