You’re standing at the bottom of a hill. It doesn’t look like a road. It looks like a wall made of grooved concrete. Your calves are already screaming just looking at it, and you haven’t even taken a step. If you’re a fan of quirky geography or just someone who likes torturing their car’s transmission, you’ve probably wondered about the steepest street in the US.
Most people immediately think of San Francisco. It makes sense, right? Those iconic shots of cable cars defying gravity while the Pacific Ocean glimmers in the background. But here’s the thing: San Francisco doesn't even hold the top spot. Not by a long shot.
The real answer is a bit of a mess. It’s a battle of percentages, municipal definitions, and local pride that pits Pennsylvania against California in a way that’s surprisingly heated.
The Reigning Champ: Canton Avenue
Pittsburgh is a city of bridges and hills. It’s rugged. It’s honest. And it’s home to Canton Avenue. This is officially the steepest street in the US according to most record-keepers and topographical geeks.
Located in the Beechview neighborhood, Canton Avenue boasts a staggering 37% grade. To put that in perspective, most highway inclines are capped at around 6% or 7%. Even the most terrifying mountain passes rarely exceed 10%. Canton Avenue is nearly four times that. It’s so steep that the city didn't even bother with asphalt because it would literally slide down the hill during a hot summer day. Instead, they used cobblestones and added stairs for pedestrians who actually need to get to their front doors without a climbing harness.
It’s a short burst of insanity. Only about 21 feet of the street hits that 37% mark, but those 21 feet are legendary. Every year, cyclists take part in the "Dirty Dozen," a grueling race that forces riders to conquer 13 of Pittsburgh’s most vertical streets. Watching people try to pedal up Canton is like watching a slow-motion car crash of human effort. Some people make it. Many don't. They just tip over.
The San Francisco Myth
Let’s talk about San Francisco for a second because everyone brings it up. If you ask a tourist, they’ll swear Lombard Street is the steepest. It’s not. It’s just the most crooked. Because of those eight hairpins, the actual "steepness" is significantly reduced. It’s basically a giant ramp for minivans.
Then there’s Filbert Street and 22nd Street. They both sit at a 31.5% grade. That’s undeniably steep—scary even—but it’s not Canton Avenue. If you park your car on Filbert without curbing your wheels, you’re basically asking for your vehicle to become a runaway projectile. But in the hierarchy of verticality, San Francisco is playing for second place.
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The Controversy: Waipio Road and Bradford Street
Of course, nothing is ever simple. If we’re being technical—and people who care about this stuff are very technical—there are other contenders.
Take Waipio Road in Hawaii. It has sections that supposedly hit a 45% grade. That’s practically a ladder. However, most experts don’t count it because it’s not a residential street in a city grid; it’s more of an access road for the valley. It’s a different beast entirely.
Then there’s Bradford Street in San Francisco. There is a specific stretch on the Bernal Heights side that claims a 41% grade. Why isn't it the winner? Measurement standards. Most records require a street to be paved and maintained for public transit. Some of these ultra-steep stretches are technically "unimproved" or too short to count for the Guinness World Records.
Why Grades Matter (and How They Work)
Basically, a grade is just a measurement of rise over run. A 100% grade would be a 45-degree angle—one foot up for every foot forward. A 37% grade like Canton Avenue means for every 100 feet you move horizontally, you’re climbing 37 feet vertically.
It sounds manageable until you’re standing there.
The Reality of Living on a Vertical Edge
You might wonder why anyone would actually build a house on the steepest street in the US. Honestly, it seems like a logistical nightmare. Imagine carrying groceries up that. Imagine trying to get a delivery truck to show up when there’s a light dusting of snow or even just a heavy rain.
In Pittsburgh, the residents are used to it. They have "stairway streets"—places where the "road" is literally just a giant set of concrete steps because a car couldn't possibly navigate the incline. Canton Avenue is one of the few that actually allows vehicle traffic, though "allows" is a strong word. It’s more like "challenges."
- Brakes: They don't just wear out; they glaze.
- Mail Delivery: Most mail carriers have specific routes that avoid the worst of it during inclement weather.
- Property Values: You’d think it would be a deterrent, but the novelty and the views often keep these neighborhoods desirable.
Comparing the Giants
If you’re planning a road trip to see these architectural anomalies, you have to know what you’re getting into.
In Los Angeles, Eldred Street in Highland Park sits at a 33% grade. It’s so steep that the city had to commission special garbage trucks to pick up the trash because standard trucks would tip over backward. Think about that. A city had to engineer a specific vehicle just to deal with one street. Eldred also ends in a wooden staircase, making it a dead end for anyone who didn't get the memo.
Then you have Vale Street in Totterdown, UK, which often gets compared to the US streets. It’s steep, sure, at about 35%, but the US still holds the title for the most extreme residential inclines in the developed world.
How to Visit Safely
Look, if you're going to go to Pittsburgh to see Canton Avenue, don't be that person.
Don't try to drive a rental car up it if it’s raining. Don't stop in the middle of the incline to take a selfie. You will burn out your clutch or, worse, lose traction and slide into someone’s porch. The best way to experience it is on foot. Park at the bottom, walk up, and feel that burn in your hamstrings. It gives you a much better appreciation for the sheer verticality of the landscape.
In San Francisco, the rules are even stricter. You have to curb your wheels. If you don’t, and a cop sees you, that’s a hefty ticket. If your brakes fail and you haven't curbed your wheels, you’re looking at a catastrophe.
The Science of the Incline
Geologically, these streets exist because humans are stubborn. We like grids. When planners laid out cities like Pittsburgh and San Francisco in the 19th century, they often did it on a flat map in an office somewhere, completely ignoring the actual topography of the land. They just drew straight lines.
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When the surveyors actually got to the site, they realized, "Oh, this is a cliff." But instead of curving the roads or following the contours of the hills, they just kept going straight. The result is the steepest street in the US and a dozen other "impossibly" angled roads that defy logic.
Modern engineering wouldn't allow this. If you tried to build Canton Avenue today, the zoning board would laugh you out of the room. It’s a relic of a time when we just forced the earth to fit our sketches.
Beyond the Percentages
Is Canton Avenue really the "best" steep street? It depends on what you want.
If you want the "World's Steepest Street" title, you actually have to look at Ffordd Pen Llech in Wales or Baldwin Street in New Zealand. They’ve been trading the Guinness World Record back and forth for years. Baldwin Street sits at about 35%, which is actually less than Canton Avenue’s 37%.
Wait, what?
This is where the drama happens. Guinness has very specific rules about how long the street must be and whether it's paved. Because Canton is so short, it often gets snubbed on the international stage. But for us in the States, Pittsburgh holds the crown.
Actionable Insights for the Vertical Traveler
If you’re heading out to conquer the steepest roads in America, keep these practical tips in mind:
- Check Your Fluids: If you’re driving, ensure your brake fluid is fresh. High-heat braking on steep descents can cause old fluid to boil, leading to brake failure.
- The "Low Gear" Rule: Never rely solely on your brakes when coming down a 30% grade. Shift into the lowest possible gear (L or 1) to let engine braking do the heavy lifting.
- Footwear Matters: This sounds silly until you’re trying to walk down a 37% cobblestone slope in flip-flops. Wear shoes with actual grip.
- Respect the Locals: These aren't just tourist attractions; they are people's driveways. Avoid blocking access or making excessive noise while testing your car's engine.
- Photography Angles: To truly capture the steepness, don't tilt your camera. Keep the camera level with the horizon (use a house or a tree as a vertical reference) to show how much the road actually tilts.
The steepest street in the US is more than just a fun fact for trivia night. It’s a testament to the weird, stubborn history of American urban planning. Whether you’re standing on the cobblestones of Pittsburgh or the asphalt of San Francisco, these hills remind us that sometimes, the straightest path isn't the easiest one—but it’s definitely the most memorable.