Vermont Street

What you need to know

The Real Crookedest Street in San Francisco

Lombard Street gets all the attention, but Vermont Street on Potrero Hill is actually curvier. The block between 20th and 22nd Streets has seven switchbacks, one more than Lombard’s six. Vermont Street is steeper, narrower, has no landscaping, and gets almost no tourists. It’s just a regular residential street that happens to zigzag down a hill.

What Makes It Worth It

The appeal is the trivia: this is the street that should be famous but isn’t. Lombard Street has the flowers, the views, and the tour buses. Vermont Street has cracked asphalt, parked cars, and silence. If you’ve already done Lombard and want the real crookedest street, this is it.

Every April, Vermont Street hosts the Bring Your Own Big Wheel race. Adults on children’s plastic tricycles careen down the switchbacks at alarming speed while crowds cheer from the sidewalk. It’s one of the most purely joyful events in San Francisco.

A 2-minute drive-through or walk-up. Combine with a visit to Potrero Hill for its 18th Street views and neighborhood restaurants.

Skip this unless you’re already on Potrero Hill or care about the Lombard Street rivalry. There’s nothing else to “do” here.

Visiting

Address: Vermont Street between 20th and 22nd Streets, Potrero Hill

Hours: Always accessible (public street)

Cost: Free

Best time to go: April for the Big Wheel race. Otherwise, anytime.

What to know: It’s a residential street. No signage, no viewpoints, no parking lot. Just switchbacks.

Getting There

Transit: Muni 10-Townsend or 48-Quintara to 20th and Vermont.

Parking: Street parking at the top or bottom of the block.

Walking: On Potrero Hill, near the 18th Street commercial strip and McKinley Square park.

📍 Location: This activity is in Potrero Hill. Explore the neighborhood →