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Aroute nationale, or simplynationale, is a class oftrunk road inFrance. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve more limited local areas.

Their use is free, except when crossing certain structures subject to atoll. They are open to all vehicles, except on certain sections havingmotorway (autoroute) or express road (voie express) status, both of these categories being reserved for motorized vehicles only.

France at one time had some 30,500 km ofroutes nationales and publicly owned motorways, but this figure has decreased with the transfer of the responsibility for many routes to thedépartements so that by 2010 the total length of motorways and other national roads was around 21,100 km. By way of comparison,routes départementales in the same year covered a total distance of 378,000 km.^[1]

The layout of the main trunk road network reflects France'scentralizing tradition: the majority of them radiate fromParis. The most important trunk roads begin on the parvis ofNotre Dame de Paris at a point known aspoint zéro (kilometre zero). In order to cover the country effectively, there are many other roads that do not serve Paris directly.

The system dates back to 16 December 1811, whenNapoleon designated a number ofroutes impériales (imperial highways). First-class routes were numbered from 1 to 14; all began atParis, radiating out in aclockwise manner. Route 1 ran from Paris north toCalais, and is still the general path ofroute nationale 1. Second-class routes, from 15 to 27, did the same, while third-class routes from 28 to 229 provided less major connections. During theBourbon Restoration, in 1824, these routes were renamedroutes royales (royal highways) and modified. Route 3, Paris toHamburg viaSoissons,Reims andLiège, was renumbered to 31 and 51, and the subsequent routes were shifted down by one. Routes 19 and 20 were completely outside the post-Napoleon France, and so 21 to 27 became 18 to 24. In 1830 the highways were renamedroutes nationales.^[2]

In the 21st century, the French Government has downgraded many of the former routes nationales, such as theN7 from Paris to theCôte d'Azur, transferring responsibility for them to thedépartements.^[3]

• Routes Départementales, the category below Routes Nationale in France

• Routes Nationales

• Lists of roads in France
• Routes nationales in France

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