Don’t Be Fooled, The Most Crooked Street In The World Isn’t In California – It’s In Iowa

Picture this. You're driving through Iowa. As you drive, you see cornfields and quaint little towns. Now you're in Burlington. It's cute and charming, but suddenly you come across a crooked, twisting road. "My goodness, this must be the most crooked street in the world!" you think to yourself.

Well...turns out you would be right! According to Ripleys Believe It Or Not, Snake Alley in Burlington, IA is in fact the "crookedest street" in the world!  Many believe that Lombard St in San Fransisco holds this title, but when you compare Lombard to Snake Alley you will find Snake Alley is the winner. The 600 foot-long Lombard Street has one switchback for every 75 feet vs Snake Alley, which is 275 feet and has a switchback for every 55 feet.

Snake Alley was constructed in 1894 as an experimental street plan in an effort to discover a quicker path from the Heritage Hill neighborhood down to the business district, which was 58.3 feet below. Besides the switchbacks, there are two quarter-turns in the road. Blue clay brick was laid short-side up and at an angle to give horses better footing. Unfortunately, it was still too difficult to navigate the curves with a horse and buggy. However, your car can handle the twists and turns! Snake Alley is safe to drive on.

If you would like to check it out for yourself, you can find Snake Alley at the 600 block of Washington Street in Burlington, Iowa.