The sign at the top of the pass gives its altitude as 2,503 meters above sea level, but the reference level for Swiss altitude measurements has changed since the sign was erected, leaving 2,501 meters as the correct value according to current methods.
The pass is named after the "Piz Umbrail", a nearby mountain peak.
The road is entirely asphalted since 2015. The last unpaved section was a 1.5 km stretch on the Swiss side between altitudes 1 883 m and 2 012 m.