Lombard Street: Visiting San Francisco’s Crooked Street

What you need to know

The crooked block of Lombard Street runs one block down Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth streets. It has eight sharp switchback turns and is paved in red brick. The city built the curves in 1922 to cut the hill’s grade from 27 percent to about 16 percent so cars and pedestrians could manage the slope.

What to Expect

You can walk the block on the stairs that run down both sides, or drive the curves one-way from the top at Hyde Street. Cars head downhill only, at a posted 5 miles per hour, and the line to drive it backs up on summer weekends and holidays. Walking is free and takes a few minutes. The view to the east looks toward Coit Tower and the bay.

Visiting

Address: Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth, Russian Hill.

Hours: Open all day. The block is busiest at midday and around sunset.

Cost: Free to walk or to drive down.

Getting There

The Powell-Hyde cable car stops at Hyde and Lombard, at the top of the crooked block. Parking on Russian Hill is limited and the streets are steep, so the cable car or a walk from the Hyde Street stop is the simpler approach.