Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors may be acting several decades before CVD becomes manifest. Data from young subjects may be valuable in further elucidating at this issue. We evaluated the association between baPWV (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity) and cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy young adults. A total of 46 male and 91 female adolescents aged $18{sim}25 years$ were studied. baPWV increased in a dose-responsive manner as the number of metabolic syndrome components. In both gender groups, baPWV was positively correlated with age. In males, waist, circumference total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol were positively correlated with baPWV, and in females, blood pressure (BP) was positively correlated with baPWV. Age, gender, mean BP, and Homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were found to be independent factors associated with baPWV levels. In conclusion, mean BP, age, gender, and HOMA-IR were associated with baPWV in young adults. This result suggests that multiple cardiovascular risk factors may be associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness in young adults.