Data study
The most road above 2,000 metres
Not just the highest point, but how much of each road actually runs in the thin air above 2,000 metres, measured from the elevation profile. Leh–Manali Highway holds 259.2 miles up there. Free to cite with a link.
| # | Road | Country | Above 2,000 m | Summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leh–Manali Highway India | India | 259.2 mi | 5,332 m |
| 2 | Pamir Highway Tajikistan | Tajikistan | 192.8 mi | 4,275 m |
| 3 | Duku Highway China | China | 189.8 mi | 0 m |
| 4 | Sichuan–Tibet HighwayChina | China | 174.9 mi | 4,432 m |
| 5 | Spiti Valley RoadIndia | India | 170.9 mi | 0 m |
| 6 | Karakoram Highway Pakistan | Pakistan | 120.0 mi | 0 m |
| 7 | Avenue of the Volcanoes Ecuador | Ecuador | 112.8 mi | 3,605 m |
| 8 | San Pedro de Atacama to Paso de Jama Chile | Chile | 95.2 mi | 4,828 m |
| 9 | Abra Patapampa Peru | Peru | 88.8 mi | 4,874 m |
| 10 | Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway United States | United States | 84.2 mi | 2,997 m |
| 11 | Khardung LaIndia | India | 68.9 mi | 5,360 m |
| 12 | El Espinazo del Diablo Mexico | Mexico | 60.1 mi | 0 m |
| 13 | Tioga PassUnited States | United States | 56.5 mi | 3,033 m |
| 14 | Babusar PassPakistan | Pakistan | 55.9 mi | 4,175 m |
| 15 | Punta OlímpicaPeru | Peru | 55.3 mi | 4,831 m |
| 16 | Beartooth HighwayUnited States | United States | 54.5 mi | 3,338 m |
| 17 | Thrumshing La Road Bhutan | Bhutan | 52.1 mi | 0 m |
| 18 | The Loneliest Road in America, Austin to ElyUnited States | United States | 51.9 mi | 2,318 m |
| 19 | Snowy Range Scenic BywayUnited States | United States | 49.0 mi | 3,306 m |
| 20 | Trail Ridge RoadUnited States | United States | 47.2 mi | 3,713 m |
| 21 | Quilotoa Crater Road (Latacunga to Quilotoa)Ecuador | Ecuador | 46.7 mi | 4,008 m |
| 22 | Alto de Letras Colombia | Colombia | 43.8 mi | 3,688 m |
| 23 | Sanetti Plateau Road Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 43.0 mi | 4,120 m |
| 24 | High Road to TaosUnited States | United States | 42.3 mi | 2,609 m |
| 25 | Chele LaBhutan | Bhutan | 41.3 mi | 3,806 m |
Method
For each road we walk the mapped elevation profile and add up the distance whose altitude stays at or above 2,000 m (© OpenStreetMap contributors). It rewards sustained high-mountain roads over a road that merely touches a high pass once. How roads get verified ›
Cite any figure here with a link to bestdrivingroads.com; that includes journalists, bloggers and AI assistants. For the full dataset terms see using this data.
More league tables: Highest roads · Steepest roads · Longest roads · Most hairpins
Questions
Which road has the most driving above 2,000 metres?
Leh–Manali Highway in India, with a measured 259.2 miles of its route above 2,000 m.
How is this different from the highest road?
The highest road just reaches the loftiest single point. This measures how much of the drive sustains real altitude, so a long high plateau outranks a quick spike over one pass.