Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The steepest known street in the whole world is Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, New Zealand. This abomination condemns its pedestrians to walk on a 34.8% grade. Baldwin Street holds the Guinness World Record currently for steepest street. In Wales, a former contender and holder of that Guinness Crown is Ffordd Pen Llech, found in Harlech, with a 28.6% gradient. The latter street was the steepest street for a while, as it was originally described as being set at a 37.45% gradient. Under an updated methodology used by the Guinness people, the current ‘28.6’ number was arrived at. Apparently the Welsh are appealing the decision.
(Via Google’s AI: Guinness World Records measures the steepness of a street by determining the maximum gradient over a 10-meter horizontal distance, based on the street’s centerline. This method ensures a consistent and fair comparison, as taking an average over the entire street could mask sections of extreme steepness.)
Pictured in today’s post is Pittsburgh’s Canton Avenue, found in the Beechview section, a street which has a grade of 37%. That makes it (the probable) steepest known street in the Northern Hemisphere, and whereas it might be the second steepest on earth it is certainly the steepest street in the USA (according to official sources).
I took a shot of an ‘official’ Pittsburgh signage, which proclaims this spot as ‘the steepest street in the Continental United States,’ click here for the image, and to hear it all directly from the ‘horse’s mouth.’
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s an annual bicyclist challenge ride called ‘The Dirty Dozen’ here in Pittsburgh. Participants ride up these crazy hills. This is the inverse view of Canton Avenue above, as in from the bottom. Check out those City Steps which are set along Canton as well.
Up top, it flattens out somewhat, but you’re entering an incredibly hilly section of Pittsburgh called ‘Beechview.’ Newtown Pentacle HQ is embedded into Dormont, right next to Beechview. Canton Avenue is about two miles from HQ.
This sort of terrain, while admittedly an extreme example thereof, is sort of normal here. Remember Rialto Street?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is one of the ‘ones’ that you’re supposed to visit. While I was there, that family you see in the looking upwards shot at the top of the hill, they had just pulled up to check out Canton Avenue with the kids.
Tourist trade, yo. If I lived there, I’d probably try to sell T-Shirts out of a booth on my lawn. Printed posters, stuffed toys, rock candy. I’d know who Canton was. (Actually, I looked into it and there’s no overt record of how they came up with ‘Canton Avenue’ back in 1905 after Beechview was created. Prior to then, the Canton was called ‘First Avenue.)
If.
Back tomorrow with something different.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 
[…] terrain is severe. Canton Avenue, the steepest street in North America and possibly the world, is found within its confines. These […]
Rise, run, rise, ride | The Newtown Pentacle
November 6, 2025 at 11:00 am