National Geographic Dubs Pittsburgh Street an ‘American Wonder’

PHOTO BY SEAN COLLIER

A Pittsburgh street has made the list in the National Geographic’s roundup of American wonders.

To celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, National Geographic has compiled a Wonders of America list, which highlights “the grandest, wildest, strangest bits of geography and culture across an eclectic country,” according to USA Today. These tidbits include natural landmarks — the shadiest oak tree in Waycross, Georgia, for example — and unique cultural landmarks, including the longest-running hot dog stand in Fort Wayne, Indiana; the smallest post office in Ochopee, Florida; and the rainiest place in Mount Wai’ale’ale, Hawai’i.

The list also includes the steepest street in the U.S., which is right here in Pittsburgh. 

While the city boasts a variety of steep hills that will give your calves a run for their money, one street in particular really takes the cake. Which one is it?

If you immediately guessed Canton Avenue, you’d be correct.

Canton Avenue in Beechview is perhaps best known for its role as a challenging spot on the Dirty Dozen Bicycle Ride route — and for good reason. The cobblestone street boasts a 37% grade along a 21-foot stretch, rapidly gaining more than 100 feet in elevation.

A sign at the base of the street declares it to be “the steepest street in the continental United States.” Even if some streets in the U.S. have sections with a steeper grade than what you’ll find on Canton Avenue, the sign — and National Geographic’s designation — is technically correct; the Pittsburgh street has the steepest average grade of any street in the country, meaning it stays at that steep incline for a longer time than other, potentially steeper (but shorter) streets. 

“The improbable incline brings out good old-fashioned American neighborliness. Some residents prefer to park at the bottom, even in good weather, and they occasionally help one another up with groceries,” writes Amy Schaarsmith for the National Geographic. “The neighbors look out for delivery drivers too, warning them against stopping on the hill, as transmissions have been known to get stuck in park.”

Schaarsmith also writes that residents say no one on Canton Avenue even bothers buying Halloween candy — the steep slope seems to scare off trick-or-treaters more than any spooky decoration. 

According to Atlas Obscura, Canton Avenue even competes with the steepest street in the world. Although Baldwin Avenue in New Zealand is commonly cited as the world’s steepest street, its gradient is two degrees flatter than Canton, at 35%; however, Baldwin’s gradient continues longer than Canton’s, which earns it the first-place title. (Canton Avenue is, however, widely regarded as the second steepest street in the world.)