Ranking · Data swissALTIRegio 2026 · Source: BFS
The steepest municipalities in canton Zurich
National ranking →Fischenthal is the steepest municipality in canton Zurich: its terrain averages 23.9° of slope. Next come Bauma (17.8°) and Turbenthal (15.8°). This is the mean gradient across the whole municipal area, measured on a 40 m elevation grid — a figure for ordering, not an absolute gradient. Source: swisstopo swissALTIRegio 2026.
Ranking
swisstopo · swissALTIRegio 2026| Rank | Municipality | Mean slope | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fischenthal | 23.9° | 2'697 |
| 2 | Bauma | 17.8° | 5'109 |
| 3 | Turbenthal | 15.8° | 5'369 |
| 4 | Wald | 15.7° | 10'686 |
| 5 | Stallikon | 14.7° | 3'903 |
| 6 | Dättlikon | 14.7° | 844 |
| 7 | Wila | 14° | 2'201 |
| 8 | Freienstein-Teufen | 13.9° | 2'373 |
| 9 | Bäretswil | 13.9° | 5'137 |
| 10 | Boppelsen | 12.6° | 1'439 |
| 11 | Pfungen | 12.4° | 4'170 |
| 12 | Langnau am Albis | 12.2° | 8'097 |
| 13 | Adliswil | 11.9° | 19'904 |
| 14 | Regensberg | 11.7° | 484 |
| 15 | Horgen | 11.4° | 24'641 |
| 16 | Rorbas | 11.3° | 3'078 |
| 17 | Aeugst am Albis | 11.1° | 2'003 |
| 18 | Berg am Irchel | 11.1° | 595 |
| 19 | Schlatt | 10.5° | 788 |
| 20 | Zell | 10.4° | 6'855 |
| 21 | Feuerthalen | 10.3° | 3'893 |
| 22 | Oetwil an der Limmat | 10.3° | 2'604 |
| 23 | Flurlingen | 10.1° | 1'505 |
| 24 | Eglisau | 10.1° | 5'794 |
| 25 | Schleinikon | 10.1° | 884 |
| 26 | Weiach | 9.8° | 2'133 |
| 27 | Hausen am Albis | 9.7° | 3'956 |
| 28 | Wildberg | 9.7° | 1'019 |
| 29 | Oberrieden | 9.6° | 5'410 |
| 30 | Elgg | 9.4° | 5'241 |
| 31 | Oberweningen | 9° | 1'903 |
| 32 | Weisslingen | 9° | 3'464 |
| 33 | Birmensdorf | 8.9° | 7'587 |
| 34 | Weiningen | 8.9° | 5'204 |
| 35 | Bachs | 8.8° | 658 |
| 36 | Wädenswil | 8.8° | 26'012 |
| 37 | Niederweningen | 8.5° | 3'284 |
| 38 | Hinwil | 8.5° | 11'949 |
| 39 | Otelfingen | 8.4° | 2'861 |
| 40 | Oberembrach | 8.1° | 1'132 |
| 41 | Meilen | 8.1° | 14'952 |
| 42 | Hittnau | 8° | 3'974 |
| 43 | Erlenbach | 7.9° | 5'679 |
| 44 | Russikon | 7.9° | 4'687 |
| 45 | Thalwil | 7.7° | 18'835 |
| 46 | Buch am Irchel | 7.6° | 1'068 |
| 47 | Hüttikon | 7.6° | 954 |
| 48 | Rüti | 7.6° | 13'144 |
| 49 | Uetikon am See | 7.4° | 6'744 |
| 50 | Uitikon | 7.4° | 5'749 |
| 51 | Embrach | 7.3° | 10'415 |
| 52 | Rüschlikon | 7.3° | 6'449 |
| 53 | Maur | 7.3° | 10'873 |
| 54 | Urdorf | 7.3° | 10'539 |
| 55 | Glattfelden | 7.2° | 5'555 |
| 56 | Wasterkingen | 7.2° | 585 |
| 57 | Herrliberg | 7.2° | 6'802 |
| 58 | Küsnacht | 7.2° | 15'250 |
| 59 | Männedorf | 7.1° | 11'764 |
| 60 | Lufingen | 7° | 2'870 |
| 61 | Schöfflisdorf | 7° | 1'420 |
| 62 | Kilchberg | 7° | 9'576 |
| 63 | Elsau | 7° | 3'957 |
| 64 | Geroldswil | 7° | 5'402 |
| 65 | Stäfa | 6.9° | 15'232 |
| 66 | Egg | 6.9° | 8'757 |
| 67 | Laufen-Uhwiesen | 6.8° | 1'848 |
| 68 | Dänikon | 6.8° | 1'861 |
| 69 | Richterswil | 6.8° | 14'545 |
| 70 | Illnau-Effretikon | 6.8° | 17'973 |
| 71 | Bonstetten | 6.7° | 5'659 |
| 72 | Hedingen | 6.7° | 3'983 |
| 73 | Dorf | 6.7° | 739 |
| 74 | Stadel bei Niederglatt | 6.7° | 2'500 |
| 75 | Hagenbuch | 6.7° | 1'168 |
| 76 | Winterthur | 6.7° | 120'741 |
| 77 | Oberengstringen | 6.7° | 7'076 |
| 78 | Wettswil am Albis | 6.4° | 5'419 |
| 79 | Dürnten | 6.4° | 8'030 |
| 80 | Hüntwangen | 6.2° | 1'142 |
| 81 | Neftenbach | 6.2° | 5'780 |
| 82 | Affoltern am Albis | 6.1° | 12'911 |
| 83 | Dällikon | 6.1° | 4'469 |
| 84 | Aesch | 6.1° | 1'644 |
| 85 | Knonau | 6° | 2'515 |
| 86 | Buchs | 6° | 6'814 |
| 87 | Zumikon | 6° | 5'781 |
| 88 | Steinmaur | 5.9° | 3'758 |
| 89 | Zollikon | 5.9° | 13'737 |
| 90 | Mettmenstetten | 5.8° | 5'841 |
| 91 | Dachsen | 5.8° | 1'896 |
| 92 | Volken | 5.7° | 391 |
| 93 | Unterengstringen | 5.7° | 4'361 |
| 94 | Fällanden | 5.6° | 9'634 |
| 95 | Seegräben | 5.5° | 1'486 |
| 96 | Zurich | 5.5° | 440'935 |
| 97 | Dielsdorf | 5.4° | 6'817 |
| 98 | Bülach | 5.3° | 24'590 |
| 99 | Lindau | 5.1° | 5'896 |
| 100 | Bachenbülach | 5° | 4'450 |
| 101 | Hombrechtikon | 5° | 9'252 |
| 102 | Stammheim | 5° | 2'970 |
| 103 | Trüllikon | 4.9° | 1'132 |
| 104 | Rafz | 4.9° | 4'792 |
| 105 | Winkel | 4.9° | 5'117 |
| 106 | Andelfingen | 4.9° | 3'719 |
| 107 | Nürensdorf | 4.8° | 5'858 |
| 108 | Gossau | 4.8° | 10'621 |
| 109 | Benken | 4.7° | 894 |
| 110 | Pfäffikon | 4.7° | 12'881 |
| 111 | Wiesendangen | 4.7° | 6'852 |
| 112 | Rifferswil | 4.6° | 1'213 |
| 113 | Wil | 4.6° | 1'595 |
| 114 | Dinhard | 4.5° | 1'734 |
| 115 | Obfelden | 4.4° | 6'081 |
| 116 | Hochfelden | 4.4° | 2'019 |
| 117 | Oetwil am See | 4.4° | 5'190 |
| 118 | Brütten | 4.4° | 2'277 |
| 119 | Kappel am Albis | 4.3° | 1'375 |
| 120 | Henggart | 4.3° | 2'376 |
| 121 | Bassersdorf | 4.3° | 12'358 |
| 122 | Grüningen | 4.3° | 3'931 |
| 123 | Wetzikon | 4.3° | 27'317 |
| 124 | Ottenbach | 4.2° | 3'038 |
| 125 | Ossingen | 4.2° | 1'859 |
| 126 | Dietikon | 4.2° | 28'325 |
| 127 | Schlieren | 4.2° | 20'474 |
| 128 | Kloten | 4° | 22'017 |
| 129 | Rheinau | 3.9° | 1'334 |
| 130 | Kleinandelfingen | 3.8° | 2'278 |
| 131 | Thalheim an der Thur | 3.8° | 1'024 |
| 132 | Neerach | 3.8° | 3'348 |
| 133 | Bubikon | 3.8° | 7'690 |
| 134 | Dübendorf | 3.8° | 33'214 |
| 135 | Seuzach | 3.8° | 7'990 |
| 136 | Maschwanden | 3.7° | 669 |
| 137 | Regensdorf | 3.7° | 20'701 |
| 138 | Uster | 3.7° | 37'031 |
| 139 | Volketswil | 3.7° | 19'948 |
| 140 | Rickenbach | 3.7° | 2'895 |
| 141 | Truttikon | 3.5° | 467 |
| 142 | Wangen-Brüttisellen | 3.4° | 8'289 |
| 143 | Niederhasli | 3.3° | 9'842 |
| 144 | Fehraltorf | 3.3° | 6'943 |
| 145 | Dägerlen | 3.3° | 1'204 |
| 146 | Marthalen | 3.2° | 2'027 |
| 147 | Höri | 3.2° | 3'676 |
| 148 | Wallisellen | 3.1° | 17'811 |
| 149 | Hettlingen | 3.1° | 3'208 |
| 150 | Dietlikon | 2.8° | 8'033 |
| 151 | Opfikon | 2.8° | 21'462 |
| 152 | Mönchaltorf | 2.8° | 4'446 |
| 153 | Flaach | 2.7° | 1'572 |
| 154 | Rümlang | 2.7° | 8'363 |
| 155 | Ellikon an der Thur | 2.6° | 1'027 |
| 156 | Niederglatt | 2.4° | 5'513 |
| 157 | Greifensee | 2.4° | 5'401 |
| 158 | Altikon | 2.3° | 760 |
| 159 | Oberglatt | 2.1° | 7'741 |
| 160 | Schwerzenbach | 1.6° | 5'256 |
swissALTIRegio 2026 · swisstopo, retrieved 28.08.2026
How we measure this
swisstopoThe mean slope of the terrain in degrees, averaged over the whole municipal area from the swisstopo swissALTIRegio digital elevation model at 40 m resolution (swissALTIRegio 2026). Two caveats matter. First, it describes the entire territory, not the inhabited settlement — a municipality can be steep overall while its village sits on flat ground. Second, slope depends on the grid it is measured at: at 40 m the figures run a few percent gentler than a 10 m grid, so use them to order municipalities, not as an absolute gradient. Steep terrain and large vertical range tend to coincide; see the greatest-vertical-range ranking.
Frequently asked questions
- Which municipality in canton Zurich has the steepest terrain?
- Fischenthal, whose terrain averages 23.9° of slope (swissALTIRegio 2026) — the steepest of any municipality in canton Zurich, measured on the swisstopo 40 m elevation grid.
- Why is the slope measured at 40 m?
- Slope depends on the resolution of the elevation grid it is computed from. These figures use the swisstopo 40 m grid, which is stable and comparable across all municipalities; a finer 10 m grid would read a few percent steeper. The ranking order is reliable, but the degree value is not an absolute gradient.