From Kimberly & Albrecht Powell,
Your Guide to Pittsburgh.
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While located at the point of three intersecting rivers, the city of Pittsburgh is also uniquely surrounded by hills - and lots of them. The city, in the words of newspaper columnist Ernie Pyle in 1937, "must have been laid out by a mountain goat. It's up and down and around and around and in betwixt." In order to help Pittsburghers navigate this steep terrain quickly in the days before the automobile, steps and stairs sprung up all over the city. On some of the steepest hills, steps even double as legal streets. Known as "paper streets," these staircases appear on maps as valid thoroughfares - an often consternating surprise to unsuspecting visitors.

Just how many steps are there in Pittsburgh?

The city of Pittsburgh has 712 public stairways with a total of 44,645 steps according to Bob Regan's The Steps of Pittsburgh (Local History Co.: 2004). Tallied together, that's more than 24,000 vertical feet, or four miles in height - more than 4,000 feet highter than Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain peak in North America. It also gives Pittsburgh the distinction as the U.S. city with the most public stairways. With 712 sets of stairs, the city of Pittsburgh has almost as many steps as the next two cities on the list (Cincinnati, 400 and San Francisco, 350) combined.

Enjoy the view from the Pittsburgh steps

Looking beyond the exercise, many of the steps of Pittsburgh offer great vantage points from which to view and/or photograph the city.

• Mission Street steps from Oakley Way to Barry Street on the South Side provide a spectacular view of the South Side and downtown Pittsburgh

• Middle Street off East North Avenue on the North Side offers another good view of downtown Pittsburgh

• Downing Street steps off Herron Avenue in Polish Hill offer a view of downtown Pittsburgh from the east

• Top of Yard Way off St. Pius St. on the South Side provide a spectacular view of the South Side and downtown Pittsburgh

Exploring the Pittsburgh Steps

A number of annual events celebrate the unique topography and history of Pittsburgh's steps, including the Fineview Step-A-Thon and the Pittsburgh StepTrek on the South Side Slopes. Walking tours of Pittsburgh Steps are available in the South Side, Lawrenceville, the North Side, Oakland and the Hill District. For history, photos and suggested itineraries, try Bob Regan's The Steps of Pittsburgh (Compare Prices).