Data study
The highest roads
The high points of the world’s great driving roads, each read from the road’s own elevation profile rather than a rounded-up summit sign. Khardung La leads at 5,360 m. Free to cite with a link.
For the ranked read rather than the raw table, see the highest paved roads in the world.
| # | Road | Country | Summit | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khardung La |  India | 5,360 m | 70 mi |
| 2 | Leh–Manali Highway | India | 5,332 m | 264 mi |
| 3 | Abra Patapampa |  Peru | 4,874 m | 89 mi |
| 4 | Punta Olímpica | Peru | 4,831 m | 56 mi |
| 5 | Sichuan–Tibet Highway |  China | 4,432 m | 176 mi |
| 6 | Mount Blue Sky Road |  United States | 4,311 m | 14 mi |
| 7 | Pikes Peak Highway | United States | 4,298 m | 18 mi |
| 8 | Pamir Highway |  Tajikistan | 4,275 m | 193 mi |
| 9 | Cuesta de Lipán |  Argentina | 4,181 m | 41 mi |
| 10 | Babusar Pass |  Pakistan | 4,175 m | 66 mi |
| 11 | Sanetti Plateau Road |  Ethiopia | 4,120 m | 66 mi |
| 12 | Chele La |  Bhutan | 3,806 m | 42 mi |
| 13 | Simien Mountains Road | Ethiopia | 3,770 m | 28 mi |
| 14 | Trail Ridge Road | United States | 3,713 m | 47 mi |
| 15 | Independence Pass | United States | 3,689 m | 37 mi |
| 16 | Alto de Letras |  Colombia | 3,688 m | 72 mi |
| 17 | Avenue of the Volcanoes |  Ecuador | 3,605 m | 113 mi |
| 18 | Slumgullion Pass | United States | 3,522 m | 15 mi |
| 19 | Million Dollar Highway | United States | 3,387 m | 23 mi |
| 20 | Cuesta del Obispo | Argentina | 3,365 m | 13 mi |
| 21 | Cerro de la Muerte |  Costa Rica | 3,344 m | 52 mi |
| 22 | Beartooth Highway | United States | 3,338 m | 64 mi |
| 23 | Hehuanshan Wuling Pass |  Taiwan | 3,279 m | 21 mi |
| 24 | Moteng and Mahlasela Passes |  Lesotho | 3,277 m | 21 mi |
| 25 | Sandia Crest Road | United States | 3,247 m | 8 mi |
Method
Summit is the highest point on the road’s mapped elevation profile (© OpenStreetMap contributors), the same measurement used across this site and the Routes app. Where our figure differs from a road’s sign, we publish the measurement. 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: Steepest roads · Longest roads · Most road above 2,000 m · Most hairpins