Thislist of motorways in the United Kingdom is a complete list ofmotorways in theUnited Kingdom. Note that thenumbering scheme used for Great Britain for both motorways and classified roads does not include roads inNorthern Ireland, which has a separate numbering system.[1]
The following motorways are sorted following themotorway numbering scheme used in Great Britain.
| Link | Route | Ceremonial counties(England) Council areas(Scotland) Principal areas(Wales) | Existed since | Highest junction to junction average daily vehicle flow 2019[2] | mi | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | A south-north motorway linkingLondon toLeeds. The first long-distance motorway in the country to be built.[3] | Greater London,Hertfordshire,Bedfordshire,Buckinghamshire,Northamptonshire,Leicestershire,Nottinghamshire,Derbyshire,South Yorkshire,West Yorkshire | 1959 | 168,763 | 193.5 | 311.4 |
| M11 | A south-north motorway linkingLondon toCambridge andStansted Airport. | Greater London,Essex,Cambridgeshire | 1975 | 121,964 | 55.0 | 88.5 |
| M18 | A southwest-northeast motorway linkingRotherham toGoole | South Yorkshire,East Riding of Yorkshire | 1967 | 108,855 | 26.5 | 42.6 |
| M180 | A west-east motorway linkingThorne toGrimsby. Continues as theA180 after the exit for theHumber Bridge. | South Yorkshire,Lincolnshire | 1977 | 48,780 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M181 | A spur of theM180 leading toScunthorpe. | Lincolnshire | 1978 | 18,213 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| M2 | A west-east motorway bypassingRochester,Sittingbourne andFaversham. | Kent | 1963 | 106,582 | 25.7 | 41.4 |
| M20 | A west-east motorway linkingLondon toFolkestone and theChannel Tunnel. Continues as theA20. | 1971 | 120,348 | 50.6 | 81.4 | |
| M23 | A north-south motorway linkingLondon toGatwick Airport andCrawley. | Surrey,West Sussex | 1974 | 110,574 | 15.9 | 25.6 |
| M25 | Aring road of London numbered clockwise fromDartford. | Kent,Surrey,Berkshire,Greater London,Buckinghamshire,Hertfordshire,Essex | 1975 | 216,108 | 117 | 188 |
| M26 | An east-west motorway linking theM25 to theM20. | Kent | 1980 | 70,674 | 9.9 | 15.9 |
| M27 | A west-east motorway linkingSouthampton toPortsmouth. | Hampshire | 1972 | 134,210 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M271 | A spur of theM27 bypassingSouthampton to the west. | 1975 | 53,678 | 2.3 | 3.7 | |
| M275 | A spur from theM27 to centralPortsmouth andCosham. | 1976 | 86,291 | 2.0 | 3.2 | |
| M3 | A northeast-southwest motorway linkingLondon toSouthampton. | Surrey,Hampshire | 1971 | 136,059 | 58.6 | 94.3 |
| M32 | A spur from theM4 into centralBristol. | Gloucestershire,Bristol | 1966 | 84,898 | 4.4 | 7.1 |
| M4 | An east-west motorway linkingLondon toCardiff andSouth Wales. Continues as theA48. | Greater London,Buckinghamshire,Berkshire,Wiltshire,Gloucestershire,Monmouthshire,Newport,Cardiff,Vale of Glamorgan,Rhondda Cynon Taff,Bridgend,Neath Port Talbot,Swansea,Carmarthenshire | 1963 | 161,807 | 189 | 304 |
| M40 | A southeast-northwest motorway linkingLondon toBirmingham. | Buckinghamshire,Oxfordshire,Northamptonshire,Warwickshire | 1967 | 133,490 | 89.0 | 143.2 |
| M42 | A motorway bypassingBirmingham to the south and east, continuing to theM1 atKegworth as theA42. | Worcestershire,Warwickshire,West Midlands,Leicestershire | 1976 | 154,532 | 40.0 | 64.4 |
| M45 | A spur from theM1 south ofRugby. | Warwickshire,Northamptonshire | 1959 | 19,536 | 7.9 | 12.7 |
| M48 | An alternative route to theM4 betweenBristol andCaldicot. | Gloucestershire,Monmouthshire | 1966 | 22,632 | 12 | 19 |
| M49 | A western bypass ofBristol. | Bristol,Gloucestershire | 1996 | 22,461 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| M5 | A northeast-southwest motorway inSouth West England, linkingBirmingham toExeter. | West Midlands,Worcestershire,Gloucestershire,Bristol,Somerset,Devon | 1962 | 127,584 | 162.9 | 262.2 |
| M50 | A west-east motorway between theM5 andRoss-on-Wye. | Worcestershire,Gloucestershire,Herefordshire | 1960 | 32,032 | 21.6 | 34.8 |
| M53 | A north-south motorway linkingBirkenhead (andLiverpool viaKingsway Tunnel) toChester. | Merseyside,Cheshire | 1972 | 79,872 | 18.9 | 30.4 |
| M54 | An east-west motorway linkingWolverhampton toTelford. | Staffordshire,Shropshire | 1975 | 70,652 | 23.0 | 37.0 |
| M55 | An east-west motorway linkingPreston toBlackpool. | Lancashire | 1958 | 84,905 | 12.2 | 19.6 |
| M56 | A west-east motorway linkingManchester toLiverpool andChester. | Greater Manchester,Cheshire | 1971 | 174,693 | 33.3 | 53.6 |
| M57 | An eastern bypass ofLiverpool linking theM62 toMaghull. | Merseyside | 1972 | 99,521 | 10 | 16 |
| M58 | A west-east motorway linkingLiverpool toWigan. | Merseyside,Lancashire,Greater Manchester | 1977 | 49,376 | 12 | 19 |
| M6 | A southeast-northwest motorway linking theWest Midlands toNorth West England andScotland. Continues asA74(M). Thefirst and longest motorway in the country to be built.[3] | Leicestershire,Warwickshire,West Midlands,Staffordshire,Cheshire,Merseyside,Greater Manchester,Lancashire,Cumbria | 1958 | 173,201 | 232.2 | 373.7 |
| M6 Toll | Atolled bypass of theM6 in theWest Midlands. | West Midlands,Staffordshire,Warwickshire | 2003 | 110,489 | 27 | 43 |
| M60 | A ring road ofManchester numbered clockwise fromStockport. | Greater Manchester | 1998 | 180,501 | 36 | 58 |
| M602 | A west-east motorway linking theM62 toSalford. | Greater Manchester | 1971 | 73,292 | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| M606 | A spur from theM62 toBradford. | West Yorkshire | 1972 | 77,277 | 3.0 | 4.8 |
| M61 | A north-south motorway linkingPreston toManchester. | Greater Manchester,Lancashire | 1969 | 150,331 | 20.0 | 32.2 |
| M62 | A west-east motorway linkingLiverpool toHull. | Merseyside,Cheshire,Greater Manchester,West Yorkshire,North Yorkshire,East Riding of Yorkshire | 1960 | 161,700 | 107 | 172 |
| M621 | An east-west motorway linkingLeeds to theM1 andM62. | West Yorkshire | 1972 | 103,207 | 7.7 | 12.4 |
| M65 | A west-east motorway linkingPreston toBurnley andColne. | Lancashire | 1981 | 82,970 | 25.8 | 41.5 |
| M66 | A north-south motorway linkingRamsbottom toManchester. | Lancashire,Greater Manchester | 1975 | 111,851 | 8.0 | 12.9 |
| M67 | A west-east motorway linkingManchester toHadfield. | Greater Manchester | 1978 | 58,435 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| M69 | A northeast-southwest motorway linkingLeicester toCoventry. | Warwickshire,Leicestershire | 1976 | 64,828 | 15.7 | 25.3 |
| M73 | An eastern bypass ofGlasgow. | North Lanarkshire,Glasgow,South Lanarkshire | 1969 | 95,331 | 7.0 | 11.3 |
| M74 | A northwest-southeast motorway linkingGlasgow toNorth West England. Continues as theA74(M) south ofAbington. | Glasgow,North Lanarkshire,South Lanarkshire | 1966 | 107,475 | 40 | 60 |
| M77 | A north-south motorway linkingGlasgow toKilmarnock. | Glasgow,East Renfrewshire,East Ayrshire | 1977 | 94,151 | 20.0 | 32.2 |
| M8 | An east-west motorway linkingEdinburgh toGlasgow. | Edinburgh,West Lothian,North Lanarkshire,Glasgow,Renfrewshire | 1965 | 160,484 | 60.3 | 97.0 |
| M80 | A southwest-northeast motorway linkingGlasgow toStirling. | Glasgow,North Lanarkshire,Falkirk,Stirling | 1974 | 104,305 | 25.0 | 40.2 |
| M876 | A southwest-northeast motorway linkingBonnybridge toKincardine. | Falkirk | 1980 | 42,611 | 8.0 | 12.9 |
| M898 | A spur from theM8 leading toErskine Bridge. | Renfrewshire | 1975 | 51,831 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| M9 | A southeast-northwest motorway linkingEdinburgh toStirling. | Edinburgh,West Lothian,Falkirk,Stirling | 1968 | 68,143 | 33.0 | 53.1 |
| M90 | A south-north motorway linkingEdinburgh toPerth. | Edinburgh,Fife,Perth and Kinross | 1964 | 76,503 | 36.0 | 57.9 |
| Link | Route | Ceremonial counties(England) Council areas(Scotland) Principal areas(Wales) | Existed since | Highest junction to junction average daily vehicle flow 2019[2] | mi | km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1(M) | A south-north motorway split into four sections:
| Hertfordshire,Bedfordshire,Cambridgeshire,Nottinghamshire,South Yorkshire,West Yorkshire,North Yorkshire,County Durham,Tyne and Wear | 1961 | 143,012 | 145.3 | 233.9 |
| A1077(M) | A spur from theM181 toScunthorpe. | Lincolnshire | 2021 | 18,213 | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| A167(M) | An urban motorway inNewcastle-Upon-Tyne. | Tyne and Wear | 1975 | 63,911 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| A194(M) | A south-north motorway linking theA1(M) to theTyne Tunnel. | 1975 | 42,802 | 4.0 | 6.4 | |
| A3(M) | A north-south motorway linking theA3 to theA27 nearPortsmouth. | Hampshire | 1979 | 92,989 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| A308(M) | A spur from theM4 south ofMaidenhead. Continues as theA308 in Windsor. | Berkshire | 1971 | 23,541 | 0.6 | 0.97 |
| A329(M) | A southeast-northwest motorway linkingBracknell toReading. | Berkshire | 1972 | 69,520 | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| A38(M) | A spur from theM6 to centralBirmingham. | West Midlands | 1972 | 146,908 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A404(M) | A spur from theM4 toHigh Wycombe. Continues as theA404 west ofMaidenhead. | Berkshire | 1961 | 59,816 | 2.4 | 3.9 |
| A48(M) | A spur from theM4 to centralCardiff. | Newport,Cardiff | 1977 | 47,203 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A57(M) | Forms part of a ring road ofManchester. Also known as the Mancunian Way. | Greater Manchester | 1967 | 90,785 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A58(M) | Forms the western part of theLeedsinner ring road. | West Yorkshire | 1964 | 81,647 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A627(M) | A south-north motorway linkingRochdale toOldham. | Greater Manchester | 1972 | 55,749 | 3.5 | 5.6 |
| A64(M) | Forms the eastern part of theLeedsinner ring road. | West Yorkshire | 1969 | 43,617 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| A66(M) | A spur from theA1(M) to theA66 south ofDarlington. | North Yorkshire | 1965 | 15,337 | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| A74(M) | A northwest-southeast motorway linking theM74 toNorth West England. Continues as theM6. | South Lanarkshire,Dumfries and Galloway,Cumbria | 1991 | 41,662 | 45 | 72 |
| A8(M) | A spur from theM8 andM73 toBallieston. | Glasgow | 2016 | 10,586 | 0.2 | 0.32 |
| A823(M) | A spur from theM90 toDunfermline. | Fife | 1964 | 20,363 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Link | Year designated | Year decommissioned | Lifespan | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M10 | 1959 | 2009 | 50 years | A spur that ran from theM1 toSt Albans, now part of theA414. |
| M41 | 1970 | 2000 | 30 years | The former number for theWest Cross Route, now part of theA3220.[4] |
| A102(M) | 1967 | 1999 | 32 years | The former number for theEast Cross Route, split into two sections:
|
| A40(M) | 1970 | 2000 | 30 years | The former number for the Westway, now part of theA40.[4] |
| A41(M) | 1973 | 1987 | 14 years | A section of the A41 that bypassedTring, now part of theA41. |
| A601(M) | 1960 | 2023 | 63 years | A spur that ran from theM6 toCarnforth andOver Kellet. Now part of theA6070 andB6601.[5][6] |
| A6144(M) | 1987 | 2006 | 19 years | A spur that ran from theM60 toCarrington. It was unique for beingsingle carriageway throughout. Downgraded to a portion of theA6144. |
| Original number | Year designated | New number | Year renumbered | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M63 | 1968 | M60 | 1998 | 30 years | Originally opened as a portion of theM62 in 1960. In anticipation of the 1974 opening of the westward extension of the M62 to Liverpool, this section of the M62 was renumbered to M63 in 1968. Now part of theM60. |
| M85 | 1976 | M90 | 1994 | 18 years | Linked the M90 to the A90 (formerly the A85) east of Perth via the Friarton Bridge. Renumbered as a portion of the M90 due to the A85 being renumbered as a portion of the A90. |
| A18(M) | 1972 | M180 | 1978 | 6 years | Ran from the M18 at what is now junction 5 north of Hatfield to the A18. Now part of theM180. |
| Link | Route | Existed since | Council areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | An east-west motorway linkingBelfast toDungannon. Continues as theA4. | 1962 | Belfast,Lisburn and Castlereagh,Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon,Mid Ulster |
| M2 | A southeast-northwest motorway split into two sections: Continues as theA26. | 1969 | Belfast,Antrim and Newtownabbey,Mid and East Antrim |
| M3 | A spur from theM2 to theA2 in eastBelfast. | 1995 | Belfast |
| M5 | A spur from theM2 toNewtownabbey in northBelfast. | 1980 | Belfast,Antrim and Newtownabbey |
| M12 | A spur from theM1 toPortadown. | 1970 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon |
| M22 | A spur from theM2 toRandalstown. Continues as theA6. | 1971 | Antrim and Newtownabbey |
| Link | Route | Existed since | Council areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| A8(M) | A spur from theM2 to theA8 northwest ofNewtownabbey. | 1966 | Antrim and Newtownabbey |
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