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 5,338 m. Free to cite with a link.
| # | Road | Country | Summit | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khardung La |  India | 5,338 m | 70 mi |
| 2 | Leh–Manali Highway | India | 5,266 m | 264 mi |
| 3 | Abra Patapampa |  Peru | 4,870 m | 89 mi |
| 4 | Punta Olímpica | Peru | 4,763 m | 56 mi |
| 5 | Karakoram Highway |  Pakistan | 4,703 m | 157 mi |
| 6 | La Cumbre to Coroico |  Bolivia | 4,654 m | 55 mi |
| 7 | Spiti Valley Road | India | 4,535 m | 173 mi |
| 8 | Sichuan–Tibet Highway |  China | 4,437 m | 176 mi |
| 9 | Mount Blue Sky Road |  United States | 4,326 m | 14 mi |
| 10 | Pikes Peak Highway | United States | 4,298 m | 18 mi |
| 11 | Pamir Highway |  Tajikistan | 4,235 m | 193 mi |
| 12 | Cuesta de Lipán |  Argentina | 4,185 m | 41 mi |
| 13 | Babusar Pass | Pakistan | 4,151 m | 66 mi |
| 14 | Sanetti Plateau Road |  Ethiopia | 4,108 m | 66 mi |
| 15 | Chele La |  Bhutan | 3,779 m | 42 mi |
| 16 | Simien Mountains Road | Ethiopia | 3,771 m | 28 mi |
| 17 | Thrumshing La Road | Bhutan | 3,735 m | 92 mi |
| 18 | Trail Ridge Road | United States | 3,714 m | 47 mi |
| 19 | Independence Pass | United States | 3,686 m | 37 mi |
| 20 | Alto de Letras |  Colombia | 3,669 m | 72 mi |
| 21 | Avenue of the Volcanoes |  Ecuador | 3,585 m | 113 mi |
| 22 | Slumgullion Pass | United States | 3,521 m | 15 mi |
| 23 | Duku Highway | China | 3,417 m | 327 mi |
| 24 | Million Dollar Highway | United States | 3,392 m | 23 mi |
| 25 | Cerro de la Muerte |  Costa Rica | 3,343 m | 52 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
Questions
What is the highest driving road in the world?
Of the 713 verified roads in our catalogue, Khardung La in India is the highest, topping out at a measured 5,338 m.
How is the summit measured?
From the road’s mapped elevation profile, not a summit sign. The highest point along the driven line is the figure we publish; where it disagrees with the famous number, we show the measurement.