The Steepest Road in the World, Plus 9 Rival Inclines

Constructed in the 1860s, Baldwin Street has become a popular tourist attraction. To celebrate their steepest street in the world, New Zealanders host an annual event called the Baldwin Street Gutbuster. Fitness enthusiasts race to the top of the street and back.

From the top of Ffordd Pen Llech, you can see panoramic views of the hilly Welsh countryside, the Irish Sea and the rugged peaks of Snowdonia National Park. You can also see Harlech Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Considered the steepest street in the United States, Canton Avenue hosts the annual Dirty Dozen bike race, making the cobblestoned climb a bucket-list challenge for bike enthusiasts.

The steepest residential street in the U.K., Vale Street in Bristol is home to the annual Easter egg-rolling competitions that awards the child and adult who can roll their egg the farthest. It's housed in a residential area called Totterdown, which is known for its colorful houses.

This residential street in Los Angeles' Highland Park neighborhood has a sign daring tourists to climb up the super steep road that was built in 1922. Streets this steep are less common in L.A. because the city has limited street grades to about 15 percent since the 1950s.

Located in the neighborhood of Echo Park, Baxter Street is known for its sharp angles and dramatic drops. There was a viral video in 2022 of a Tesla launching into the air on Baxter Street and crashing into two cars. The dangerous stunt angered residents.

Bradford Street is nestled in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, a famously hilly city. Drivers and cyclists tackling this road are rewarded with views of the San Francisco skyline.

Located in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood, Filbert Street matches Bradford's 31.5 percent gradient and is one of the city's most iconic inclines. It's served as a backdrop for numerous Hollywood productions, including 1972 comedy "What's Up, Doc?" and the TV series "Monk."

This treacherous road on Hawaii’s Big Island averages to a 25 percent gradient with parts of it reaching 45 percent. It offers views of Waipi'o Valley's cliffs, waterfalls and tropical vegetation. The valley is often referred to as the "Valley of the Kings," as it was once home to Hawaiian royalty.

Signal Hill Road offers a steep climb to one of Cape Town's most scenic viewpoints, providing panoramic views of Table Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean. It also has a famous tradition dating back to the 1880s called the "Noon Gun," where a cannon fired at precisely noon every day.

The Guinness World Records determines the steepest street by measuring the maximum gradient over a 32.8-foot (10-meter) horizontal distance. This method ensures a fair assessment by focusing on the steepest continuous section, rather than averaging the incline over the entire length, which could dilute the extremity of the slope.

In 2020, Guinness World Records updated its measurement criteria to base the gradient on the central axis of the road, when Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, claimed the record in 2019, and those advocating for the previous record holder Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, appealed the decision.

Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, initially held the title of the world's steepest street with a gradient of 34.8 percent. Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, had claimed the record with a reported gradient of 37.5 percent.

But under this revised measurement method, Ffordd Pen Llech's was determined to be 28.6 percent, and Baldwin Street regained its title as the world's steepest street in April 2020.

We created this article with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.