How many miles of roads are there in Great Britain?

Every year millions of Brits head out across the vast road network to get to work, go on holiday, visit friends and family, or to go on a road trip – but how many miles of roads are there in Great Britain?

In this know how guide, we look at the total length of roads across GB and how many miles they have increased by in recent years.

Total length of roads in Great Britain

According to the latest date from the Department for Transport (DfT), in 2024 the total length of roads in Great Britain was estimated to be around 246,500 miles.

Major roads (motorway and A roads) accounted 31,900 miles, with 2,300 miles of motorway and 29,600 miles of ‘A’ road.

Also, DfT data revealed that there were 214,600 miles of minor road, with 18,900 miles of B roads and 195,700 miles of C and Unclassified roads (not assigned a designation by local highway authority).

When looking at the proportions of roads across Great Britain, 0.9% is motorways, 12% is A roads, 7.7% is B roads, and 79.4% is either C or U roads.

How are roads classified?

The definition of each type of road is set out by the DfT in its data set on road data for 2024.

Motorway

A motorway is a high-speed, multi-lane road designed for long-distance traffic, with controlled access and no stopping except at designated exits.

A Road

An A road in the UK is a major route that connects towns and cities, designed for faster travel than local roads but with more access points and lower speed limits than motorways.

B Road

B roads in the UK are secondary roads that connects smaller towns, villages, and rural areas, typically with lower traffic volumes and narrower carriageways than A roads or motorways.

Minor roads - also known as ‘C’ and ‘U’

C and U roads in the UK are minor local roads managed by local authorities, typically serving rural areas or providing access to small communities and properties.

How many more miles of roads have been added in recent years?

Since data was originally recorded in 2004, Great Britain has added more than 5,600 miles of roads over the following 20 years.

This marks a 2.3% increase until the end of 2024.

However, in the last decade, only 65 miles of new motorway have been added to Great Britain. The length of increased from 2,265 to 2,330 miles between 2014 and 2024.

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• RAC Pothole Index – statistics and data for UK roads

Total road length in England

According to DfT figures, out of the 246,500 miles of road in Great Britain in 2024, more than 188,300 miles of it were in England.

This equates to 76.4% of total roads.

Traffic in England

Further analysis of DfT fata showed that in 2023, around 65% of the miles travelled were on motorways and A roads in England.

However, motorways only make up 13% of the road network in England by total length.

In fact, on an average day, 55 times more vehicles travelled along a typical stretch of motorway than a typical stretch of minor road (including B, C, and unclassified roads).

Total road length in Wales

DfT data reveals that 8.6% of Great Britain's road network is in Wales – totalling 21,100 miles.

This is the lowest number of road miles out of the three countries.

Total road length in Scotland

37,100 road miles are located in Scotland. This is 15% of the total roads in Great Britain.

Total length of road in Northern Ireland

In the most recent data from Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure, the total length of roads was 25,858 kilometres at the end of 2023.

Regarding the proportion of roads in the country, 0.4% are motorways, 8.9% are A roads, 11.3% are B roads, 18.3 are C roads, and unclassified roads made up the rest (61.1%).