Canton Avenue

{{Short description|Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox street

| name = Canton Avenue

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| image = File:CantonAve Bottom.jpg

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| caption = Looking up Canton Avenue.

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| location = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

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| direction_a = South

| terminus_a = Coast Avenue

| direction_b = North

| terminus_b = Hampshire Avenue

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}}

Canton Avenue is a street in Pittsburgh's Beechview neighborhood which is the steepest officially recorded public street in the United States.{{cite news | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05030/448976.stm | newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | title=Here: In Beechview | date=2005-01-30 | access-date=11 August 2007 | archive-date=17 August 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817112347/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05030/448976.stm | url-status=dead }}{{cite magazine| url=https://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/the-steepest-road-on-earth-takes-no-prisoners/ | magazine=Wired | first=Jason | last=Kambitsis | title=The Steepest Road on Earth Takes No Prisoners | date=1 December 2010}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/steepest-streets-america_n_4871559.html|title=Hit The Brakes! The 10 Steepest Streets in America|first=Carla Herreria |last=Russo|date=2014-02-28|website=HuffPost|access-date=2016-11-10}}

Canton Avenue is {{convert|630|ft|m|abbr=on}} long (the hill is about 213 feet long) and is claimed to include a 37% grade {{convert|21|ft|m}} long.{{Cite news|url=http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/steepest-streets-in-the-world.html|title=Steepest Streets in the World|work=WorldAtlas|access-date=2017-07-30|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Pittsburgh Hills |url=http://www.wpwbikeclub.org/pgh_hills.html |accessdate=2007-08-11 |work=Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516024036/http://wpwbikeclub.org/pgh_hills.html |archivedate=16 May 2007 |url-status=dead}}An article in the Pittsburgh Press on 11 January 1987 cites information compiled by the Surveys Division and the Snow and Ice Control Program, Dept of Public Works, that Canton Street has a steepness of 37 percent. The Guinness Book of World Records uses a 10m section to define the world's steepest street, currently held by Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, New Zealand, with a gradient of 34.8%.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/gwr-steepest-street-trnd/index.html|title=New Zealand street once again the world's steepest after Guinness World Records reverses decision|date=8 April 2020}} This record is disputed; Pittsburgh news and international media have claimed Canton Avenue is the steepest street in the world.{{Cite web|last=Christi|date=2016-03-06|title=The Steepest Street In The World Is In Pennsylvania— It'll Make You Sweat|url=https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/pa-canton-ave/|access-date=2021-06-14|website=OnlyInYourState|language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine|title=The Steepest Road On Earth Takes No Prisoners|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/12/the-steepest-road-on-earth-takes-no-prisoners/|access-date=2021-06-14|issn=1059-1028}} The United States record is also disputed, as Bradford Street in San Francisco includes a 39% grade nine meters long{{Cite web|last=Chamings|first=Andrew|date=2020-06-29|title=San Francisco's actual steepest street is not where you think|url=https://www.sfgate.com/local/editorspicks/article/Where-is-San-Francisco-steepest-street-15374214.php|access-date=2021-10-29|website=SFGATE|language=en-US}} and Waipio Valley Road has sections as steep as a 45% grade. {{cite web |last1=Russo |first1=Carla Herreria |title=The 10 Steepest Streets In America |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/steepest-streets-america_n_4871559 |website=HuffPost |publisher=BuzzFeed, Inc. |access-date=10 May 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Jennings |first1=Ken |title=Is This Hawaiian Street the World's Steepest Road? |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2014-10-20/is-this-hawaiian-street-the-world-s-steepest-road |website=Condé Nast Traveler |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=19 February 2022}}{{cite web |title=Waipio Valley Road in HI is the steepest road in the USA |url=https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/394-waipio-road-usa.html |website=Dangerous Roads |publisher=dangerousroads.org |accessdate=3 May 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Baray |first1=Alexa |title=4 Steep U.S. Streets That Will Make Your Palms Sweat |url=https://www.traveltrivia.com/steepest-us-streets/XqgZkXU1XQAGkiWS |website=Travel Trivia |publisher=Inboxlab, Inc. |access-date=10 May 2022}}

In March 2016 Canton Avenue was the subject of a commercial,{{cite AV media |people=Bene Mayr, Heikki Sorsa, Aaron Gwin, Mattias Ekström |date=1 March 2016 |title=Audi quattro challenge - The Steepest Street |medium= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOWMEWrSJuI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/KOWMEWrSJuI |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|access-date=3 July 2017 |location=Pittsburgh, PA}}{{cbignore}} featuring freeskier Bene Mayr, snowboarder Heikki Sorsa, downhill mountain biker Aaron Gwin, and racing driver Mattias Ekström for the Audi Quattro A4 automobile.{{cite news |last=Shumway |first=John |date=2 March 2016 |title=World's Steepest Street Featured in New Audi Commercial |url=http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/03/02/worlds-steepest-street-featured-in-new-audi-commercial/ |publisher=KDKA-TV |location=Pittsburgh, PA |access-date=4 March 2016}}{{cite news |last=Blazina |first=Ed |date=3 March 2016 |title=Audi challenges Beechview's world-class-steep Canton Avenue |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2016/03/03/Audi-challenge-s-Beechview-s-world-class-steep-Canton-Avenue/stories/201603030139 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |location=Pittsburgh, PA |access-date=4 March 2016}}

File:CantonAve Top.jpg

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