September 18, 2025

SF Stairways: Shortest, Longest, and Steepest

20 minutes

There are over 900 stairways in San Franciso. Some are simple wooden stairs, others beautiful climbs covered in mosaics, or utilitarian concrete steps. It’s incredibly charming and a delightful surprise to many visitors. Bay Curious listener George Krause fell in love withe stairways between photo shoots and wanted to know which are the shortest, longest and steepest stairways in the city. Many of you are stair-curious too!

Additional Resources:

Stairways Crisscross the Hills of San Francisco. Here's Why People Love Them

Read the transcript for this episode

How the Filbert Steps Came to Be an Oasis in San Francisco

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Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest

Got a question you want answered? Ask!

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This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Olivia Allen-Price, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Alana Walker, Holly Kernan and everyone on Team KQED.

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