Description: Detailed clear large road map of United Kingdom with road routes from cities to towns, road intersections / exit roads in regions, provinces, prefectures, also with routes leading to neighboring countries.
This detailed UK road map shows the motorway, A-road and local connections of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Looking at this detailed transportation network, we can see how millions of residents across the British Isles are connected through one of the world's most sophisticated road systems. The road network has been created from ancient Rome times to present day. Uses of these roads are both for local communities and international business concerns.
The United Kingdom road map displays a hierarchical road classification system that serves over 60 million residents efficiently and effectively. The map's legend clearly shows population-based city classifications, with London (2,765,000+ in 2007) prominently marked as the national capital in red, while other major cities appear in graduated sizes based on their population thresholds. This classification system helps travelers and logistics professionals understand the relative importance and connectivity of different urban centers across the British Isles.
The UK road map reveals how ancient Roman engineering continues to influence modern transportation networks across Britain. Ways are marked by these old routes, which indicates the wisdom of the Roman road builders who chose the best path under tough terrains. The strategic planning and infrastructure of our ancestors still serve millions of travellers every day around the world.
The M1 motorway serves as England's central spine, connecting London northward through multiple major cities and industrial centers. The map clearly shows this vital artery passing through Luton (population 258,000), Northampton (population 215,000), Leicester (population 330,000), Nottingham (population 308,000), and Sheffield (population 555,000) before reaching Leeds (population 751,000). This route handles millions of vehicles annually and represents Britain's most important north-south corridor, facilitating both passenger and freight transportation.
The M1 connects to numerous regional centers including Milton Keynes via A421, Derby through A38, and Chesterfield via A61. The motorway also provides access to East Midlands Airport and serves major distribution centers throughout the Midlands region.
The M25 encircles Greater London on the map, providing crucial connections to major airports and linking to primary motorways that radiate from the capital. The orbital motorway connects to the M1 heading north to Leeds and Yorkshire, the M2 running southeast to Canterbury and Dover, the M3 extending southwest to Southampton and Portsmouth, and the M4 traveling west to Reading, Bath, Bristol, and Cardiff. Additional connections include the M11 to Cambridge and A1(M) to Peterborough.
The M25 also connects to Heathrow Airport via M4, Gatwick Airport through M23, and Stansted Airport via M11. This orbital route serves Watford, St. Albans, Dartford, Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, and Slough, creating a vital ring that facilitates circumnavigation of the capital.
This essential route connects Birmingham through Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, and Lancaster before entering Scotland as the M74 toward Glasgow. The map shows this motorway serving as the primary western corridor for freight and passenger traffic between England and Scotland. The M6 also connects to Wolverhampton via M54, Chester through M56, and Blackpool via M55.
Regional connections include Stafford, Warrington, Wigan, and Carlisle, with the route providing access to the Lake District via A591 and A66. The M6 Toll provides an alternative route around Birmingham, while the M6 continues north through Penrith before reaching the Scottish border.
The M4 provides the main east-west corridor across southern Britain, connecting London to South Wales and serving as a vital economic lifeline. The map shows this route passing through Reading (population 155,000), Swindon (population 209,000), Bristol (population 428,000), Newport (population 145,000), and Cardiff (population 346,000), with extensions to Swansea (population 239,000) and Carmarthen.
The M4 corridor serves Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor, Chippenham, Bath, Bridgend, and Port Talbot. The route provides access to Wales' industrial valleys via A470 and connects to Gloucestershire through M5 junction. The Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing carry the M4 across the Severn Estuary.
The M5 extends from Birmingham through Worcester, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devon to Exeter. The map shows connections to Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Taunton, Bridgwater, and Cullompton. This route provides access to Cornwall via A30 and serves the Southwest holiday destinations.
Additional connections include the M50 to Ross-on-Wye and Hereford, serving the Welsh border region. The M5 also connects to Avonmouth port facilities and provides access to Weston-super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea.
The Scottish road network on the map reveals a dual-corridor system serving the country's diverse geography and challenging terrain. The eastern route follows the A1 connecting Edinburgh to Aberdeen via Dundee, while the western route utilizes the M8 linking Glasgow and Edinburgh, with the M77 extending to Ayr and Stranraer. This system ensures comprehensive coverage of Scotland's major population centers and economic regions.
The map displays the A9 as Scotland's primary Highland route, connecting Perth to Inverness and beyond to Thurso and John o' Groats. The A82 provides access to the West Highlands and Loch Lomond, serving Fort William and Mallaig. The A83 serves the Argyll peninsula, connecting to Campbeltown and Islay ferry terminals.
The A96 connects Aberdeen to Inverness via Huntly and Elgin, serving the Moray coast and Speyside whisky region. The A90 provides coastal access from Edinburgh to Aberdeen via Dundee, while the A92 offers an alternative coastal route through Fife.
The Welsh road system centers on Cardiff, with the M4 providing the primary east-west corridor as shown on the map. The A470 runs north-south through Wales, connecting Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and continuing through Brecon, Builth Wells, Rhayader, and Dolgellau before reaching North Wales and Llandudno.
Regional connections include the A48 serving Swansea and Carmarthen, the A40 connecting Cardiff to Brecon and Fishguard, and the A465 serving the Heads of the Valleys route through Merthyr Tydfil, Ebbw Vale, and Abergavenny.
The A55 serves North Wales coastal communities, connecting Chester to Holyhead via Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Bangor, and Caernarfon. This route provides crucial access to Anglesey and ferry connections to Ireland via Holyhead port. The A5 provides an alternative inland route through Llangollen, Corwen, and Betws-y-Coed.
The A487 serves the West Wales coast, connecting Haverfordwest to Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, and Caernarfon. This route provides access to Pembrokeshire beaches and Snowdonia National Park.
The map shows the A40 connecting Cardiff to Brecon and Mid-Wales, continuing to Llandovery and Carmarthen. The A44 provides east-west access through Powys to Aberystwyth via Rhayader and Llangurig. The A483 serves Swansea to Chester via Llandeilo, Llandovery, Builth Wells, Newtown, Welshpool, and Oswestry.
Belfast serves as Northern Ireland's primary transportation hub (population 280,000), with roads radiating to all corners of the province. The map shows connections to Londonderry (population 108,000) via A6 and M2, Newry (population 27,000) through A1 toward the Irish border, and Armagh (population 15,000) and Omagh (population 19,000) via regional A-roads.
The M1 connects Belfast to Dungannon and Omagh, while the M2 provides access to Antrim, Ballymena, and Coleraine. The A26 serves the Antrim coast, connecting Ballymena to Coleraine and Portrush.
The A2 provides coastal access around Northern Ireland, serving Larne, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Portrush, Limavady, and Londonderry. The A4 connects Belfast to Enniskillen via Dungannon, providing access to Fermanagh lakes and the Irish border. The A5 serves as another important corridor linking Belfast to Londonderry via Omagh and Strabane.
Cross-border connections include the A1 to Dublin via Newry and Dundalk, and the A5 to Donegal via Strabane and Letterkenny. The A29 provides north-south access through Armagh and Cookstown.
Manchester serves as Northwest England's primary hub (population 503,000), with the map showing roads radiating to Liverpool (population 466,000) via M62 and A580, Leeds (population 751,000) through the M62 cross-Pennine route, Sheffield (population 555,000) via A57 and A616, Preston (population 114,000) and Lancaster (population 46,000) via M6, and Blackpool (population 142,000) through M55 and A583.
The Greater Manchester area encompasses Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Salford, Tameside, and Trafford. The M60 orbital motorway connects these communities, while the M62 provides east-west access to Liverpool and Leeds.
Birmingham functions as the Midlands epicenter (population 1,073,000) with connections visible on the map to Coventry (population 316,000) via A45 and M6, Wolverhampton (population 251,000) through A4 and M54, Stoke-on-Trent (population 240,000) via M6 northbound, Worcester (population 100,000) and Hereford (population 58,000) via A449, and Nottingham (population 308,000) through A38 and M42.
The M42 orbital motorway serves Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove, and Tamworth, connecting to Birmingham Airport and National Exhibition Centre. The A38 provides north-south access through Lichfield and Burton upon Trent.
Newcastle upon Tyne anchors the Northeast (population 280,000), with the map showing connections to Sunderland (population 174,000) via A1 and A19, Durham (population 87,000) through the A1 corridor, Middlesbrough (population 139,000) via A19 coastal route, and Carlisle (population 108,000) across the A69 trans-Pennine route.
The A1 provides the main north-south corridor through Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Durham, Darlington, and Scotch Corner. The A19 serves Sunderland, Durham, Middlesbrough, Redcar, and Whitby, providing coastal access to North Yorkshire.
Leeds serves as West Yorkshire's primary center (population 751,000), connected to Bradford (population 294,000) via A647 and A650, Wakefield (population 77,000) through A61 and M1, Huddersfield (population 146,000) via A62 and M62, and Halifax (population 88,000) through A58 and A629.
The M621 serves Leeds city center, while the M62 provides east-west access to Manchester and Liverpool. The A1(M) connects Leeds to York and London, serving Wetherby and Tadcaster.
The map reveals multiple cross-border routes including the M74/M8 corridor connecting Glasgow to the English motorway network via Gretna and Carlisle, the A1 eastern route linking Edinburgh to Newcastle via Berwick-upon-Tweed, the A7 scenic route through Scottish Borders to Carlisle via Hawick and Langholm, and the A68 connecting Edinburgh to Darlington via Jedburgh, Corbridge, and Hexham.
The A702 provides an alternative route from Edinburgh to Moffat and Dumfries, while the A75 serves Dumfries to Stranraer for Irish ferry connections. The A697 connects Edinburgh to Wooler and Coldstream in Northumberland.
Welsh-English connectivity includes the M4 providing direct Cardiff-London access via Bristol and Reading, the A40 connecting Welsh valleys to English market towns through Monmouth, Ross-on-Wye, and Gloucester, the A5 linking North Wales to the English Midlands via Shrewsbury and Telford, and the A483 serving Mid-Wales to English border communities through Oswestry and Welshpool.
The A55 connects North Wales to Chester and Manchester, while the A449 serves Monmouth to Worcester via Hereford. The A438 provides access from Hereford to Brecon and Mid-Wales.
The map shows extensive coastal connections throughout Southern England. Brighton (population 273,000) links to London via A23 and M23, Portsmouth (population 205,000) connects through A3 and M3, Southampton (population 253,000) becomes accessible via M3 and A34, Bournemouth (population 183,000) and Poole (population 147,000) are served by A31 and M27, and Exeter (population 124,000) and Plymouth (population 258,000) connect via A38 and M5.
Dover (population 39,000) provides Channel ferry access via M2 and A2, while Folkestone (population 46,000) serves Channel Tunnel traffic through M20 and A20. Hastings (population 91,000) connects via A21 and A259 coastal route.
The A30 provides the primary route through Cornwall, connecting Exeter to Penzance via Bodmin, Truro, and Redruth. The A38 serves Devon and Cornwall, connecting Plymouth to Liskeard and Saltash. The A39 provides coastal access along the North Cornwall and North Devon coasts, serving Bude, Bideford, Barnstaple, and Minehead.
Torquay (population 133,000) and Paignton connect via A380 and A3022, while Newquay (population 23,000) is accessible via A30 and A392. The A374 serves South Devon coastal communities including Kingsbridge and Salcombe.
Cambridge (population 124,000) serves as East Anglia's primary hub, connected to London via M11 and A10, Norwich (population 213,000) through A11, and Peterborough (population 184,000) via A14. The A14 provides east-west access through Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Ipswich to Felixstowe port.
Norwich connects to Great Yarmouth (population 68,000) via A47, King's Lynn (population 46,000) through A47, and Thetford via A11. The A140 serves Norwich to Ipswich (population 144,000) corridor.
Lincoln (population 94,000) connects to Grimsby (population 88,000) via A46 and A18, Sleaford through A15, and Grantham via A607. The A1 provides north-south access through Grantham, Newark, and Doncaster.
Boston (population 65,000) connects via A16 and A52, while Skegness (population 19,000) is accessible through A52 and A158. The A17 provides east-west access across Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
The M1-M6-M74 corridor represents Britain's primary economic artery as shown on the map, connecting London's financial district, Birmingham's manufacturing hub, Manchester's commercial center, and Glasgow's Scottish economic capital. This route facilitates freight movement, business travel, and economic integration across 800+ miles of British territory, serving major distribution centers and industrial complexes.
The corridor passes through Luton (logistics hub), Milton Keynes (technology center), Birmingham (manufacturing), Stoke-on-Trent (ceramics), Manchester (services), and Glasgow (finance and engineering). Major airports including East Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow connect to this corridor.
East-west connectivity across the Pennines includes the M62 linking Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds, serving Warrington, St. Helens, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham, Huddersfield, Bradford, and Wakefield. The A66 connects Workington to Middlesbrough via Penrith, Appleby, Brough, and Barnard Castle. The A69 serves the Carlisle to Newcastle corridor through Brampton, Haltwhistle, Hexham, and Corbridge.
The M20-M2-A2 corridor serves Channel trade routes, connecting London to Dover and Folkestone via Maidstone, Canterbury, and Ashford. This route handles significant European freight traffic through Channel Tunnel and ferry services. The M25-M26-M20 connection provides orbital access to Channel ports from London and Southeast England.
The UK road map facilitates access to UNESCO World Heritage Sites and National Parks. The Lake District becomes accessible via M6 junction 36 and A591 through Kendal, Windermere, and Ambleside. Yorkshire Dales are served by A65 through Skipton and Settle, and A684 via Sedbergh and Hawes. Snowdonia connects through A5 via Betws-y-Coed and A470 through Dolgellau. The Scottish Highlands are reached via A9 through Pitlochry and Aviemore, and A82 via Loch Lomond and Fort William.
Peak District access includes A57 Snake Pass, A6 through Buxton, and A515 via Ashbourne. Dartmoor connects via A38 and A386 through Tavistock, while Exmoor is accessible via A39 and A396 through Dulverton.
Scenic coastal drives visible on the map include the A1 Northumberland coast through Alnwick, Bamburgh, and Berwick-upon-Tweed to Scottish Borders. The A30 Cornwall peninsula route serves Land's End, St. Ives, and Newquay. The A55 North Wales coastal corridor connects Llandudno, Conwy, and Bangor. The A77 Scottish west coast route serves Ayr, Girvan, and Stranraer.
Pembrokeshire coast access includes A487 through St. David's and A4139 to Tenby. Dorset coast connections via A35 serve Lyme Regis and Bridport, while A3052 provides access to Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton.
The map reveals Greater London's extensive suburban connections through the M25 orbital providing outer London access to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, and Stansted airports. A-roads serve commuter towns including Slough (population 140,000), Watford (population 96,000), Croydon (population 192,000), Kingston upon Thames (population 166,000), and Bromley (population 325,000). Radial routes connect satellite cities within a 50-mile radius including St. Albans, Guildford, Dartford, Basildon, and Harlow.
The A1 serves North London suburbs through Barnet and Hatfield, while the A3 connects Southwest London via Wimbledon and Surbiton. The A4 provides West London access through Hounslow and Uxbridge.
Greater Manchester encompasses multiple interconnected cities connected by A-roads and motorways. Stockport (population 284,000) connects via A6 and M60, Oldham (population 96,000) through A663 and M62, Bolton (population 194,000) via A58 and M61, and Wigan (population 103,000) through A49 and M6. Rochdale (population 95,000) connects via A627 and M62, while Bury (population 78,000) links through A56 and M66.
The M60 orbital motorway connects Sale, Altrincham, Stretford, Eccles, Salford, Prestwich, Whitefield, and Denton. The M62 provides east-west access to Warrington, St. Helens, and Liverpool.
Birmingham anchors the West Midlands conurbation (population 2,440,000), connecting Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich, Dudley, Solihull, and Coventry. The M6 provides north-south access, while the M42 orbital serves Solihull, Redditch, Bromsgrove, and Tamworth. The M54 connects Wolverhampton to Telford and Shrewsbury.
A-roads serve Kidderminster via A456, Stourbridge through A491, and Cannock via A460. The M5 provides southwest access to Worcester and Gloucester.
Leeds anchors West Yorkshire (population 2,320,000), connecting Bradford, Kirklees (including Huddersfield), Calderdale (including Halifax), and Wakefield. The M62 provides east-west access, while the M1 serves north-south traffic. The A1(M) connects Leeds to York and London.
Bradford connects via A650 and A6177, Huddersfield through A62 and A629, Halifax via A58 and A646, and Wakefield through A61 and A638. The M606 serves Bradford, while the M621 provides Leeds city center access.
This comprehensive UK road map demonstrates decades of strategic planning that prioritizes connectivity, economic development, and regional integration. The network density reflects population distribution, with higher concentration in England and strategic corridors serving Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The system balances local accessibility with national connectivity, ensuring rural communities remain connected to major economic centers.
The road network in the United Kingdom found on this map is changing over time as a result of infrastructure investment, capacity enhancement, enhancement of tools and approaches and sustainable transportation initiatives. Britain will remain connected to the globe as a successful economy by introducing smart motorway technology, electric vehicle charging points and revamped junction designs.
Political Map of United Kingdom
Political map and map image of United Kingdom.
Physical Map of the United Kingdom
Physical map and geographical map image of the United Kingdom.
Regional Directory of UK
Information and guide about United Kingdom (UK) and websites with UK topics.
Regional Directory of Europe
Information and guide about Europe and websites with European topics.
Regional Directory of Australia
Information and guide about Australia and websites with Australian topics.
