Lombard Street

Lombard Street in San Francisco is one of the most well-known roads of all time. It is a main thoroughfare in the City by the Bay (used by locals to travel to the Golden Gate Bridge). It also rolls directly from one side of San Francisco to the other, easily. But the most famous portion — the one attracting untold tourists — is the section in Russian Hill.

Known as the “crookedest street in the world,” (some joke that it’s the second crookedest, after Wall Street), the 200-meter stretch of Lombard Street — seen in numerous TV and film car chases (think “Bullett”) and even the Grand Theft Auto video game — was created in 1922 as a one-way, eight switchback road because the 27% grade was too steep for normal vehicular traffic.

And because of its popularity and fame, along with it being one of the few crooked roads in the city, the collection of tourists to Lombard Street, especially in the daytime, is insane.

If you drive Lombard Street, be ready for a lengthy wait in traffic, especially during daylight hours. And if you walk Lombard, be ready for people EVERYWHERE. Bodies will be moving and weaving in the street, people hanging out of sunroofs and some of your photos might be overpopulated.

To skip the plethora of tourism, visit Lombard Street in the morning or at night.

Typically, the tourists are gone and the peaceful ambiance of Lombard Street returns. You can calmly walk the street while viewing the lit-up Coit Tower and Bay Bridge in the distance. Or view the street before the hoards of tourists arrive.

One of the more popular landmarks in the city, Lombard Street is a must-see attraction to visit in the daytime or at night. Off you go.

How Do I Find Lombard Street?

• Lombard Street is located on a hill between Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach. The top of the switchback section is on the corner of Lombard and Hyde.

• You can use public transportation routes 19, 20, 30, 41, 45, and the Powell-Hyde cable car to reach the attraction. We recommend you only use the cable car if departing FROM Union Square. Otherwise, using the cable car to visit Lombard Street is a waste of money.

• To reach Lombard Street from Union Square you can ride bus 30 to the base of Lombard then walk up the hill. Or, if you want to avoid hills at all costs, ride the Powell-Hyde cable car, but be ready for a SUPER long wait in line.

• Other notable attractions near Lombard Street are Macondray Lane, the Alice Marble Tennis Courts, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, the stairways of Russian Hill and Coit Tower.

Location of Lombard Street

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