Street lights are not all the same height. Their height depends on the road type, lighting goals, pole spacing, fixture wattage and optics, and the rules used by the local authority. In practice, most street lights fall into a broad range from about 3 meters to 15 meters, with common city roadway installations often in the mid-range. The best height is the one that delivers uniform illumination, controls glare, and matches the roadway width and mounting layout.

This guide explains typical street light heights by application, how engineers choose the right pole height, how height affects brightness and uniformity, and what to consider when selecting LED Street Lights for projects. For product options and specifications, visit FEIDONG’s LED Street Light.

Typical Street Light Heights by Application

Street lighting is designed around coverage and uniformity. A higher mounting height spreads light over a larger area and can reduce glare at eye level when optics are designed correctly. A lower mounting height concentrates light and can work well for small roads and pathways.

Common height ranges used in real projects:

• Residential streets and local roads often use mid-low poles because road widths are smaller and speeds are lower.

• Collector roads and urban arterials often use mid-height poles to cover wider lanes and sidewalks.

• Highways and large intersections often use taller poles because the area is larger, pole spacing is wider, and uniformity targets are higher.

• Parking lots, campus roads, and internal industrial roads use heights based on open-area coverage and pedestrian safety priorities.

Typical mounting height reference table

These ranges are widely used as starting points, but the final decision should be confirmed by lighting simulation and local standards.

What Decides Street Light Height in a Project

Street light height is chosen to hit lighting targets, not to match a “standard number.” Several factors work together.

Road width and lane count determine how far the light must reach. A wider road typically needs either a higher pole or a more powerful fixture with optics designed for wider distribution. Pole spacing influences height because larger spacing often requires higher mounting to avoid dark gaps.

Lighting class and target levels are determined by road type, speed, pedestrian activity, and safety rules. Some roads prioritize higher uniformity to reduce sudden brightness changes. Others prioritize glare control and visual comfort near homes.

Fixture optics are critical. Two lights with the same wattage can perform very differently depending on beam shape and lens design. A well-designed led street light with correct optics can allow lower wattage at the same pole height, or wider spacing without losing uniformity.

How Height Affects Brightness, Uniformity, and Glare

Higher poles do not simply make roads brighter. They change how light arrives on the ground.

A higher mounting height spreads light over a larger area, which helps uniformity when spacing is appropriate. It can also reduce direct glare because the light source is farther from the viewer’s eye line. However, if the optics are not well controlled, higher mounting can increase light spill into nearby properties.

Lower mounting height can increase brightness directly under the fixture but may create hot spots and darker areas between poles if spacing is not adjusted. Lower poles can also increase glare if the LED array is more visible to drivers and pedestrians.

This is why height, spacing, and optics must be selected together. Changing only one variable often creates new problems.

Street Light Pole Height and Spacing Must Match

Pole height and spacing are a pair. A common project mistake is selecting a height, then using spacing based only on civil layout without verifying lighting performance. If spacing is too wide for the chosen height and optics, dark zones appear. If spacing is too tight, the project wastes budget and may increase glare.

A practical way to think about it is coverage overlap. You want each light’s distribution to overlap smoothly with the next one. That overlap is controlled by mounting height and beam pattern.

For engineers and buyers, this is where LED street lights offer flexibility. Modern optics and wattage ranges can be matched to different pole heights while maintaining uniformity and energy efficiency.

How to Choose the Right Height for LED Street Lights

Selecting height should start from the road category and then be verified by photometric design.

A reliable selection approach:

• Confirm the road type, width, and whether sidewalks or bike lanes need coverage.

• Confirm the mounting arrangement, such as single-side, staggered, or opposite.

• Confirm pole spacing constraints from the civil plan and underground utilities.

• Select an LED street light wattage and optics that match the height and spacing.

• Run a lighting simulation to confirm average illumination, uniformity, and glare control.

• Adjust height or spacing if required before procurement.

If you are sourcing for multiple road types, it is common to use a small set of pole heights and match different optics or wattages to each zone. This keeps installation consistent while meeting performance targets.

Why LED Street Lights Help Projects Control Pole Height Decisions

LED street lights provide better optical control than many older lamp technologies because lens design can shape the beam precisely. This helps projects hit uniformity requirements without relying only on taller poles or very high wattage.

Key advantages that influence height planning:

• Optics can be tailored to road width and mounting layout

• High efficacy reduces energy use while meeting brightness targets

• Better control reduces wasted light spill and improves visual comfort

• Stable performance supports long-term project planning and maintenance cycles

FEIDONG focuses on LED street lighting solutions for road and area lighting. You can review configurations, specifications, and project-ready options here: LED Street Light.

Street Light Height and Maintenance Considerations

Higher poles can reduce the number of lights needed for coverage, but they can increase maintenance complexity because lifts and access equipment must reach higher. For city projects, this affects long-term operational cost.

Lower poles are easier to service but may require more fixtures to achieve the same coverage and uniformity, which increases installation and electrical infrastructure cost.

Choosing the best height is always a balance between performance, energy, installation budget, and maintenance planning.

Conclusion

Street lights are commonly installed from about 3 to 15 meters tall, with the best height depending on road type, width, spacing, optics, and local lighting requirements. Residential streets often use lower to mid heights, urban roads and arterials use mid to higher heights, and highways and large intersections often use taller poles for wide-area uniformity. Height alone does not determine performance. The right result comes from matching height with pole spacing and LED optics.

If you are planning a street lighting project and want LED fixtures designed to support efficient, uniform road lighting, explore FEIDONG’s LED Street Light options.