Lombard Street: The Crookedest Street in the World
Why is it significant?
Stand at the crest of Russian Hill on Lombard Street and look down the breathtaking one-block descent of eight tight hairpin switchback curves paved in red terracotta brick.
Key Facts
| Place | Lombard Street: The Crookedest Street in the World |
|---|---|
| Address | 1000 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94109 |
| Geo Coordinates | 37.80210, -122.41870 |
| Part of Walk | San Francisco By The Bay: Cable Cars, Lombard Curves, and Fisherman's Wharf |
| Generated | Generated |
Stand at the crest of Russian Hill on Lombard Street and look down the breathtaking one-block descent of eight tight hairpin switchback curves paved in red terracotta brick. Framed by stone retaining walls, weeping Russian olive trees, and thousands of purple and blue blooming hydrangeas, cars inch down the hill like beads on a winding ribbon.
In nineteen twenty-two, property owner Carl Henry suggested the zigzag design because the natural twenty-seven percent grade of the hill was too steep for early nineteen twenties automobiles to climb or descend safely. By creating eight sharp turns, the grade was reduced to sixteen percent, making it navigable for both Ford Model Ts and horse carriages.
From the top of the brick steps, cast your eyes eastward: past the red brick curves, you can gaze straight across North Beach to Coit Tower, the San Francisco Bay, and the Bay Bridge shimmering in the morning sun.
Head down the steps and walk northward toward the historic red brick clock tower of Ghirardelli Square.