How many steps to the top of CN Tower?
The metal staircase is a fire exit and opens to the public only for a handful of charity climbs each year, run by the World Wildlife Fund and the United Way. Those events are the single busiest stair climbs in the world by participation. The 1,776 count reaches the LookOut level; the further 803 steps to the SkyPod are not part of the public climbs. It is one of the few towers where the stair count is genuinely well documented, because the events require it.
The numbers
- Steps
- 1,776
- Reaches
- the main observation level at 342 m; 2,579 steps reach the SkyPod at 447 m
- Public access
- Restricted — events or permit only
- Where
- Toronto, Canada
- Height climbed
- 342 m — 1,122 ft
- Average rise per step
- 193 mm
What the climb is like
Charity climbs only, a few days a year. Average time is about 30 minutes; the record is under 8.
These steps are not open on an ordinary visit. Access is limited to organised events, races or permit holders.
Published counts for the same structure routinely disagree by five to ten per cent, and nearly always for one of three reasons: whether intermediate landings count as steps, whether the final platform step counts, and where the climb is deemed to start. The figure here says what it reaches.
How it compares
Only the ones marked open to climb can actually be walked.
| Structure | Steps | Reaches | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| One World Trade Center | 2,226 | the 102nd floor | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Willis Tower | 2,109 | the 103rd floor Skydeck | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Taipei 101 | 2,046 | the 91st-floor outdoor observatory | Restricted — events or permit only |
| CN Tower | 1,776 | the main observation level at 342 m; 2,579 steps reach the SkyPod at 447 m | Restricted — events or permit only |
| Ostankino Tower | 1,704 | the observation deck at 337 m, via the emergency staircase | Not climbable by the public |
| Eiffel Tower (summit) | 1,665 | the summit at 276 m, using the service stairs above the second floor — closed to the public | Not climbable by the public |
| Empire State Building | 1,576 | the 86th-floor observatory, via the emergency stairwell | Restricted — events or permit only |
Common questions
- How many steps to the top of CN Tower?
- 1,776, reaching the main observation level at 342 m; 2,579 steps reach the SkyPod at 447 m.
- Can the public climb CN Tower?
- Restricted — events or permit only. Charity climbs only, a few days a year. Average time is about 30 minutes; the record is under 8.
- How high is that climb?
- 342 m, about 1,122 ft, which averages 193 mm per step.
Related pages
- Towers All 17 here
- How many steps up Eiffel Tower? 674 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Empire State Building? 1,576 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up Eiffel Tower (summit)? 1,665 steps · not climbable by the public
- How many steps up Burj Khalifa? 2,909 steps · not climbable by the public
- How many steps up Tokyo Tower? 600 steps · open to climb
- How many steps up Taipei 101? 2,046 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up One World Trade Center? 2,226 steps · restricted — events or permit only
- How many steps up Tokyo Skytree? 2,523 steps · not climbable by the public
Sources
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place