Straße

Straße is a German noun meaning street, a public road within a town or city that provides passage for vehicles and pedestrians and links neighborhoods, districts, or points of interest. In many German-speaking regions, streets are named and designated with the suffix Straße as part of a house address.

Etymology: The term traces to Middle High German strāze, from Latin strata via Old High German; it originally referred to a paved road and has been extended to modern urban streets.

Orthography: In standard German the word is Straße, with the Eszett (ß) representing a long vowel sound after a single 's' in the preceding syllable. In environments where ß is not used, such as Switzerland or in all-caps signage, Strasse is used. The short form "Stra." appears in some abbreviations.

Usage and structure: A street typically runs between intersections and carries assigned house numbers. Urban planning distinguishes various street types, such as Hauptstraße (main street) and Nebenstraße (side street). In many towns, streets are subject to local traffic regulations, zoning, speed limits, and pedestrian zones. Signs display the street name and sometimes the locality; postal addresses in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland usually include the street name before the house number.

See also: Road, urban planning, street name, address.