For the 8 of the World’s Steepest Streets, the clearest current answer is Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, which Guinness World Records recognizes at 34.8%, verified on November 7, 2019. However, Canton Avenue, Waipiʻo Valley Road and several Los Angeles and San Francisco streets report similar or higher local grades under different distances and measurement rules.
Key takeaways
- Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the current Guinness-recognized record holder at 34.8%, verified on November 7, 2019, according to Guinness World Records.
- There is no universally reliable global ranking because sources may measure a street’s maximum point, sustained climb, average grade, centerline or a defined segment.
- Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, briefly held the Guinness title at 37.45% in 2019, but Baldwin Street was later reinstated after the record was reassessed.
- Canton Avenue is widely cited as the steepest officially designated public street in the United States, with a commonly reported maximum of about 37%—but that short maximum is not directly equivalent to Baldwin Street’s Guinness measurement.
- Waipiʻo Valley Road on Hawaiʻi Island is not a normal sightseeing drive. Government material has reported sections up to 37%, while official notices have documented closure and restricted vehicle access.
What is the steepest street in the world?
Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, is the current Guinness-recognized answer. Guinness World Records records its steepness as 34.8%, with the result verified on November 7, 2019. Guinness describes the record as:
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“The steepest street (road) is Baldwin street, in Dunedin, New Zealand, with a steepness of 34.8%, as verified on 7 November 2019.”
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That is the most defensible answer to “What is the steepest street in the world?”—provided “steepest” means the current Guinness World Records result. It does not prove that no road or street anywhere has a higher short-lived pitch measured under another method.
Why do different lists produce different winners?
Different lists produce different winners because a percentage grade describes a measurement, not an entire street’s universal ranking. A road reported at 37% might contain a very short maximum section, while another road might sustain a lower grade for much longer.
Road grade is calculated as vertical rise divided by horizontal distance. A 34.8% grade means a rise of 34.8 units for every 100 horizontal units; it does not mean a 34.8-degree angle. The reported number can change depending on whether the survey measures:
- the single steepest point;
- a short defined segment;
- the average grade over a longer climb;
- the road centerline or another line across the roadway;
- a formally specified record distance; or
- a road, rural access track, slope or officially designated public street.
Guinness’s Baldwin Street result follows a defined record-measurement method rather than simply selecting the largest grade quoted in a local newspaper or tourism list. San Francisco’s 41% Bradford Street figure, for example, is a current municipal claim about the city’s steepest slope, but the available city material does not establish that the figure was measured using the same method as Guinness.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Street or road | Reported grade | What the figure represents | Setting and access context | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin Street Dunedin, New Zealand |
34.8% | Current Guinness-recognized result, verified in 2019 | Urban residential cul-de-sac; Dunedin guidance warns drivers not to enter because there is no turning or exit | Current formal world-record answer |
| Ffordd Pen Llech Harlech, Wales |
37.45% | Historical Guinness result from 2019; not the current title | Urban residential street in a Welsh town | Former record holder and central measurement dispute |
| Canton Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
About 37% | Commonly reported maximum; measurement length and method vary | Public urban street associated with Pittsburgh’s steep-hill cycling culture | Strongest U.S. urban contender |
| Waipiʻo Valley Road Hawaiʻi Island |
Up to 37% | Maximum reported in Hawaiʻi legislative material from 2019 | Rural valley access road; visitor access has been closed or restricted under official notices | Extreme landscape road, but not a casual tourist drive |
| 28th Street San Pedro, Los Angeles |
33.3% | Short portion between Gaffey Street and Peck Avenue, reported in 1986 | Urban city street; the cited grade is a brief maximum segment | Shows how a short pitch can inflate a list position |
| Eldred Street Los Angeles |
33%; 219 feet of elevation gain | Grade reported in 1986; elevation gain reported in 2003 | Residential urban street with a relatively long-feeling climb | More sustained everyday steepness than a tiny maximum pitch |
| Bradford Street Bernal Heights, San Francisco |
41% | Grade reported by San Francisco government material in 2023 | Urban San Francisco slope; direct comparison with Guinness is not established | Current municipal steep-slope claim |
| Filbert Street San Francisco |
No current comparable grade supplied in the available source set | Frequently included in comparative steep-street coverage | Built-up city street and recognizable San Francisco hill landmark | Classic San Francisco example, but not the city’s strongest current numeric claim |
1. Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand
Baldwin Street is the current Guinness-recognized steepest street, with a grade of 34.8% verified on November 7, 2019. The street is in the North East Valley area of Dunedin and is both a residential road and a tourism landmark.
The important distinction is between “Guinness-recognized steepest street” and “the steepest piece of pavement anyone has ever measured.” Baldwin Street holds the formal title because its result was verified under Guinness’s record rules. A competing street can report a larger percentage without displacing Baldwin Street under those rules.
Drivers should not treat the road as a challenge route. Dunedin City Council guidance warns that Baldwin Street is a cul-de-sac with no turning or exit and advises drivers not to enter. Visitors should follow local signs, avoid obstructing residents and use an appropriate viewpoint rather than attempting to prove how steep the street feels from behind the wheel.
2. Ffordd Pen Llech, Harlech, Wales
Ffordd Pen Llech was the Guinness title holder for a short period in 2019 after a measured gradient of 37.45%, but it is not the current Guinness record holder.
The Harlech street became the focus of a local campaign that argued it was steeper than Baldwin Street. Guinness announced the new result in July 2019, and the figure remains important because it demonstrates how the chosen measurement method can change the winner. The original announcement is documented in Guinness World Records’ report on Harlech’s claim.
Guinness later reassessed the record and reinstated Baldwin Street. The 37.45% number should therefore be described as Ffordd Pen Llech’s historical Guinness result, not as the current world record. Nothing in the supplied evidence suggests that the street became physically less steep; the change was about the record assessment and its measurement basis.
3. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Canton Avenue is widely cited as the steepest officially designated public street in the United States, with a commonly reported maximum of about 37%. Visit Pittsburgh describes Canton Avenue in its current visitor material as the city’s famous steep street.
The about-37% figure comes from comparative reporting, including a 2019 WorldAtlas comparison. Because the steepest section is short and the available sources do not establish a measurement identical to Guinness’s method, Canton Avenue is best described as a U.S. urban contender rather than the world-record holder.
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Canton Avenue also has a strong cycling identity. It is associated with Pittsburgh’s steep-hill culture and the Dirty Dozen challenge, making it relevant to riders as well as pedestrians, photographers and urban-geography enthusiasts. That cycling association does not make the street a recommended driving or riding challenge; local traffic, weather and event conditions still apply.
4. Waipiʻo Valley Road, Hawaiʻi Island
Waipiʻo Valley Road is a rural access road with government-reported sections reaching up to 37%, but it should not be treated as a normal tourist drive. The figure comes from a Hawaiʻi State Legislature report from 2019.
Waipiʻo is different from the residential streets in Dunedin, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is a steep route into a valley, and the road’s landscape, surface conditions, drainage, weather and traffic-management concerns matter as much as the percentage grade. Secondary accounts sometimes quote higher short sections, but those numbers should not be placed directly beside Baldwin Street’s 34.8% Guinness result without identifying the road segment and measurement method.
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Access is the decisive issue for visitors. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority reported that Waipiʻo Valley Road was closed to visitors beginning February 25, 2022. A related Hawaiʻi County emergency rule documented the closure and access conditions. Later rules limited vehicle use and required qualifying four-wheel-drive access in permitted circumstances. Because rules and physical conditions can change, anyone considering a visit must check current Hawaiʻi County notices before traveling; the road should never be presented as a casual sightseeing drive.
5. 28th Street, San Pedro, Los Angeles
A short portion of 28th Street in San Pedro was reported at a 33.3% grade between Gaffey Street and Peck Avenue. The figure came from the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and was reported by the Los Angeles Times in 1986.
28th Street is a useful warning against treating a list of steep streets as a precise ranking. The 33.3% number describes a very short maximum segment, not necessarily the grade a driver or pedestrian experiences for the whole street. A short, sharp pitch can produce a higher headline percentage than a longer route whose grade remains consistently demanding.
For a car, that distinction affects the experience: a brief ramp may test approach angle and traction at one point, while a longer climb places more emphasis on sustained low-speed control, visibility and the ability to find a safe stopping or turning location. The number alone does not tell a driver whether a road is suitable for a particular vehicle.
6. Eldred Street, Los Angeles
Eldred Street was reported at a 33% grade, but its climb is notable because it extends over a relatively long stretch. The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering figure was reported by the Los Angeles Times in 1986.
The same street also has a reported elevation gain of 219 feet along the climb, according to a 2003 Los Angeles Times report. The grade and elevation-gain figures describe different aspects of the hill, so they should not be combined into a new calculated record. Together, however, they explain why Eldred feels unusually steep in daily life rather than merely containing one extreme point.
Eldred illustrates the difference between maximum steepness and sustained steepness particularly well. Residents, delivery drivers, pedestrians and service vehicles experience the length of the climb, not just the highest number recorded at one spot. That makes Eldred a more useful real-world comparison with other residential hills than a bare list position suggests.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Bradford Street, San Francisco
San Francisco government material identifies Bradford Street in Bernal Heights as the city’s steepest slope and reports a grade of 41%. The figure appears in a City and County of San Francisco publication from 2023.
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The 41% figure is higher than Baldwin Street’s 34.8% Guinness result, but that does not make Bradford Street the world’s second-steepest street. The San Francisco source describes a slope, and the available material does not show that its measurement used Guinness’s definition, distance or centerline procedure.
Bradford is also the stronger current municipal answer when the question is “What is San Francisco’s steepest street or slope?” That distinction matters because Filbert Street is much more famous internationally, while a less familiar street can have the stronger current local measurement.
8. Filbert Street, San Francisco
Filbert Street is one of San Francisco’s best-known steep urban streets, but the available evidence here does not provide a current grade that can be compared directly with the other seven examples.
Filbert appears regularly in comparative coverage because it represents the classic San Francisco hill: a steep, built-up city street integrated into a dense urban neighborhood and experienced as part of the city’s architecture and street life. A 2019 comparative list of steep streets includes Filbert among the familiar San Francisco examples.
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Which streets are steeper: Baldwin Street, Canton Avenue or San Francisco’s hills?
On the reported numbers alone, Bradford Street’s 41% and Canton Avenue’s roughly 37% appear steeper than Baldwin Street’s 34.8%, but the measurements are not an apples-to-apples ranking. Baldwin’s figure is a current Guinness result verified under a defined method. Canton’s figure is a commonly reported short maximum, and Bradford’s is a municipal slope claim whose measurement basis is not shown to match Guinness.
The fairest comparison is therefore conditional:
- Formal current world record: Baldwin Street.
- Former Guinness challenger: Ffordd Pen Llech.
- U.S. urban public-street reputation: Canton Avenue.
- Highest current municipal figure in this group: Bradford Street’s reported 41%, with a different measurement context.
- Most important rural-access warning: Waipiʻo Valley Road, because official visitor restrictions matter more than its headline grade.
- Most sustained-feeling Los Angeles example: Eldred Street, based on the reported length of its climb compared with the short maximum section of 28th Street.
What should drivers know before approaching a very steep street?
A steepness percentage cannot tell you whether a road is legally open, safe to enter or suitable for your vehicle. A driver must also account for traffic controls, surface condition, weather, visibility, room to turn, the ability to stop and whether the road is a cul-de-sac or restricted access route.
Baldwin Street is the clearest urban example: Dunedin City Council warns drivers not to enter because the street has no turning or exit. Waipiʻo Valley Road is the clearest access example: official notices have documented closure and limitations on visitor and vehicle use. Those two facts are more useful to a driver than simply knowing which road has the largest quoted percentage.
Do not use any of these streets as an informal vehicle test. If visiting a famous hill, obey signs and local restrictions, keep clear of driveways and residents, and choose a legal place to stop or view the road. A road’s reputation is not permission to drive it.
Why this list is not a strict ranking
This is a comparison of eight well-documented steep streets and roads, not a definitive worldwide order from first to eighth. No single authoritative body in the supplied research publishes a current, globally standardized ranking covering all eight examples.
The list deliberately combines a formal world-record holder, a former record holder, U.S. urban contenders, a restricted rural access road, short maximum-grade segments and famous city hills. Keeping those categories visible is more accurate than pretending that Baldwin Street’s Guinness measurement, Bradford Street’s municipal slope figure and Waipiʻo Valley Road’s legislative estimate were produced under one universal survey rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baldwin Street still the steepest street in the world?
Baldwin Street is still the current Guinness-recognized steepest street, with a grade of 34.8% verified on November 7, 2019. A different street may have a higher short section under another measurement method, but that does not change the current Guinness result.
Is Canton Avenue steeper than Baldwin Street?
Canton Avenue’s commonly reported maximum of about 37% is higher than Baldwin Street’s 34.8%, but the figures are measured under different or incompletely documented conditions. Canton Avenue is widely cited as the steepest officially designated public street in the United States, not as the current Guinness world-record holder.
Can you drive up Waipiʻo Valley Road?
Waipiʻo Valley Road should not be treated as an ordinary sightseeing drive. Official Hawaiʻi notices reported closure to visitors beginning February 25, 2022, and later access rules limited vehicle use and required qualifying four-wheel drive in permitted circumstances; visitors must check current Hawaiʻi County rules before going.
Why is Ffordd Pen Llech no longer the world’s steepest street?
Ffordd Pen Llech briefly held the Guinness title after a 37.45% measurement was announced in 2019. Guinness later reassessed the result and reinstated Baldwin Street, so 37.45% is a historical Ffordd Pen Llech record rather than the current Guinness answer.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Baldwin Street remains the current Guinness-recognized steepest street at 34.8%, verified on November 7, 2019. Other streets—including Canton Avenue, Waipiʻo Valley Road and Bradford Street—can report higher local grades, but different road types, segment lengths and measurement methods prevent a fully reliable global ranking.
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