Why a quiet New Zealand residential street became the world's most contested incline

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Baldwin Street in Dunedin is famous for its extreme, unintentional steepness. While it holds the Guinness World Record for the steepest street, the title has been subject to intense debate, international rivalry, and even a formal appeal. Beyond the metrics, it remains a magnet for daredevils, charity events, and frustrated residents.

Located in the North East Valley of Dunedin, New Zealand, Baldwin Street was never intended to be a global landmark. Its extreme gradient was the result of a 19th-century grid-based urban plan surveyed by Charles Kettle, designed in London with little regard for the local topography of Signal Hill. The street rises from 30 metres above sea level at its base to 100 metres at its summit over a distance of about 350 metres. Its steepest section, located 70 metres from the top, reaches a gradient of approximately 34.8% to 35%.

The street's status as the world's steepest has been a point of contention. In July 2019, Guinness World Records briefly awarded the title to Ffordd Pen Llech in Wales, citing a 37.45% gradient. However, a group of Dunedin residents, led by surveyor Toby Stoff, successfully appealed the decision. Guinness subsequently ruled that steepness must be measured along the street's central axis, which recalibrated the Welsh street to 28.6% and returned the title to Baldwin Street in April 2020. Other contenders, such as Canton Avenue in Pittsburgh or various streets in San Francisco, often feature steeper, but significantly shorter, sections.

This recognition has transformed the quiet residential road into a hub for tourism and extreme stunts. While the annual Gutbuster race and charity Jaffa-rolling events draw crowds, the influx of visitors has caused friction with locals, who report issues ranging from trampled gardens to dangerous driving. The street has also seen numerous unofficial and sanctioned feats, including motorcycle wheelies, pogo-stick ascents, and high-speed drift trike descents. Tragically, these attempts have not been without cost; in March 2001, a 19-year-old student died after an accident involving a wheelie bin. Despite the controversy and the risks, Baldwin Street remains a unique intersection of urban planning error and global curiosity.

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