Balboa Road Climb

We don't rate roads as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a ride is, and roads people like to ride draw more riders, so they see more crashes. What the records show: no bike crashes were reported along the climb from 2021–2025.

How long and steep is the Balboa Road climb?

1.9 miles (3.1 km) at 5.2% on average, climbing 531 ft (162 m) from 883 ft to 1,414 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.2%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 35.49877, -120.69748, where Balboa Road leaves Graves Creek Road, and tops out on the road at 35.50495, -120.72034.

Is Balboa Road paved?

Yes, by its OpenStreetMap tags.

How is the category worked out?

From the climb's shape only: length in metres × average grade (%) of 16,000 or more for Cat 3, 32,000 for Cat 2, 64,000 for Cat 1 and 80,000 for HC. It describes how hard the climb is, not traffic or crashes.

Where does this data come from?

The climb is found from OpenStreetMap roads and USGS 3DEP elevation (every climb, not a list of famous ones). Access is from OpenStreetMap tags; gates and closures change, so obey posted signs. Crash counts are police reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS) on data.ca.gov, counted where their map location is within 100 ft of the climb. The forecast is from the National Weather Service.

• Del Rio RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.2% · 594 ft · starts 1.0 mi away
• Santa Ana RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4% · 643 ft · starts 1.1 mi away
• San Gregorio RoadCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 6.1% · 617 ft · starts 1.2 mi away
• Santa Cruz RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.1% · 646 ft · starts 1.7 mi away
• San Marcos RoadCat 3 · 3.9 mi at 3.3% · 696 ft · starts 2.5 mi away
• Sunrise Ridge RoadCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 9.4% · 545 ft · starts 6.0 mi away
• Toro Creek RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.7% · 659 ft · starts 6.0 mi away
• Falling Star LaneCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 9.1% · 846 ft · starts 6.6 mi away