The longest highways in the world span entire continents, connecting nations, cultures, and economies across thousands of kilometres of road.
Highway geography is a recurring topic in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Banking, Railways, and State PSC exams \u2014 particularly questions about transcontinental routes, India\u2019s national highways, and record-holding roads. This page gives you a complete, updated list of the world\u2019s longest highways with distances, countries, and exam-ready facts for quick, confident revision.
⚡ Quick Facts
- Pan-American Highway (~30,000 km) is the longest motorable road network in the world.
- Trans-Siberian Highway (~11,000 km) in Russia is the longest national highway in a single country.
- Australia\u2019s Highway 1 (~14,500 km) is the longest national highway that circumnavigates an entire country.
- NH-44 (~3,806 km) running from Srinagar to Kanyakumari is India\u2019s longest national highway.
- The Pan-American Highway passes through 14 countries across North, Central, and South America.
The Pan-American Highway is NOT a single continuous road \u2014 it has an 87 km break called the Dar\u00edn Gap (dense jungle-swamp between Panama and Colombia) that has never been paved. Also, India\u2019s longest highway NH-44 was previously numbered NH-7 before the 2010 renumbering. Exam questions from before 2010 use NH-7; those from after use NH-44 \u2014 know both.
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🛣️ Complete List of Longest Highways in the World
| # ↕ | Highway Name ↕ | Length (km) ↕ | Countries / Region | Route Highlights | Continent ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pan-American Highway | ~30,000 | 14 countries (Canada to Argentina) | Alaska to Patagonia; interrupted by Dar\u00edn Gap | Americas |
| 2 | Australian Highway 1 | ~14,500 | Australia | Circumnavigates entire Australian coastline | Australia |
| 3 | Trans-Siberian Highway (R297) | ~11,000 | Russia | Moscow to Vladivostok | Asia/Europe |
| 4 | Trans-Canada Highway | ~7,821 | Canada | Victoria, BC to St. John\u2019s, Newfoundland | North America |
| 5 | Highway 1 (USA \u2014 Route 1) | ~5,100 | USA | Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida | North America |
| 6 | Golden Quadrilateral | ~5,846 | India | Delhi\u2013Mumbai\u2013Chennai\u2013Kolkata loop | Asia |
| 7 | NH-44 (India) | ~3,806 | India | Srinagar (J&K) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) | Asia |
| 8 | Trans-African Highway | ~9,000+ | Multiple African nations | Cairo (Egypt) to Dakar (Senegal) \u2014 Trans-Saharan segment | Africa |
| 9 | Asian Highway 1 (AH1) | ~20,557 | 13 countries (Japan to Turkey) | Tokyo to the Turkey-Bulgaria border | Asia |
| 10 | M1 Motorway (Russia) | ~1,875 | Russia | Moscow to the Belarus border | Europe/Asia |
| 11 | Stuart Highway (Australia) | ~2,720 | Australia | Darwin to Port Augusta | Australia |
| 12 | Karakoram Highway (KKH) | ~1,300 | Pakistan, China | Abbottabad (Pakistan) to Kashgar (China) | Asia |
| 13 | Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) | ~4,000 | Brazil | Marab\u00e1 to L\u00e1brea through Amazon rainforest | South America |
| 14 | Ruta Nacional 40 (Argentina) | ~5,194 | Argentina | Cape V\u00edrgenes to La Quiaca \u2014 along the Andes | South America |
| 15 | Highway 1 (Israel) | ~480 | Israel | Tel Aviv to Eilat | Asia (Middle East) |
| 16 | Trans-European Motorway (TEM) | ~23,000 | Multiple European nations | Gda\u0144sk (Poland) to Athens (Greece) and Istanbul | Europe |
| 17 | North-South Corridor | ~7,200 | Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India | St. Petersburg to Mumbai via Iran | Multi-continent |
| 18 | NH-30 (India) | ~2,949 | India | Sitarganj (Uttarakhand) to Ibrahimpatnam (Andhra Pradesh) | Asia |
| 19 | NH-27 (India) | ~3,507 | India | Porbandar (Gujarat) to Silchar (Assam) | Asia |
| 20 | Pan-Arab Highway | ~13,400 | Arab League countries | Connects Middle East and North Africa nations | Asia/Africa |
| 21 | Trans-Saharan Highway | ~4,504 | Algeria, Mali, Niger, Nigeria | Algiers to Lagos | Africa |
| 22 | Silk Road Highway | ~12,000+ | China to Europe | Xi\u2019an (China) to Rome (Italy) via Central Asia | Asia/Europe |
| 23 | Leh-Manali Highway (India) | ~428 | India | Manali (HP) to Leh (Ladakh) | Asia |
| 24 | Atal Tunnel Road (Rohtang) | 9.02 km (tunnel) | India | Manali to Lahaul-Spiti | Asia |
| 25 | Friendship Highway (China-Nepal) | ~943 | China, Nepal | Lhasa (Tibet) to Kathmandu (Nepal) | Asia |
⚖️ Compare Two Highways
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
The Pan-American Highway (~30,000 km) is the longest motorable road network in the world but is technically NOT a single continuous road \u2014 it has a break called the Dar\u00edn Gap, an 87 km stretch of jungle and swamp between Panama and Colombia that has never been paved. Exam questions sometimes test this interruption specifically.
Asian Highway 1 (AH1) at 20,557 km is the longest of the Asian Highway Network routes, running through 13 countries from Tokyo (Japan) to the Turkey-Bulgaria border. India is part of the AH1 network. This is a frequent UPSC and Banking exam topic under international connectivity corridors.
India\u2019s longest national highway is NH-44 (3,806 km), running from Srinagar (J&K) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu). It was earlier known as NH-7 before India\u2019s national highway renumbering in 2010. Exams may use either number depending on the year of the question.
The Karakoram Highway (KKH), connecting Abbottabad in Pakistan to Kashgar in China, is called the \u201cEighth Wonder of the World\u201d and is the world\u2019s highest paved international road, crossing the Karakoram mountain range at an altitude of over 4,700 metres. It is a key route of China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Golden Quadrilateral (5,846 km) connects India\u2019s four major metros \u2014 Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata \u2014 in a diamond/quadrilateral shape. It is part of India\u2019s National Highways Development Project (NHDP) and handles the highest volume of road traffic in India.
\u201cPapa Australia Trans\u201d
P = Pan-American Highway (~30,000 km) | A = Australia Highway 1 (~14,500 km) | T = Trans-Siberian Highway (~11,000 km)
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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The Pan-American Highway, stretching approximately 30,000 km across 14 countries from Alaska to Patagonia, is the longest motorable road network in the world. It has one interruption \u2014 the Dar\u00edn Gap between Panama and Colombia \u2014 that remains unpaved.
NH-44, running approximately 3,806 km from Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), is India\u2019s longest national highway. It was previously numbered NH-7 before India\u2019s national highway renumbering exercise in 2010.
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) connects Abbottabad in Pakistan to Kashgar in China. It is the world\u2019s highest paved international road, crossing the Karakoram range at over 4,700 metres, and is a key corridor of China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative.
The Dar\u00edn Gap is an 87 km stretch of dense jungle and swamp located between Panama (Central America) and Colombia (South America). It is the only break in the Pan-American Highway, preventing a fully continuous road connection from North to South America.
The Golden Quadrilateral is a 5,846 km highway network connecting India\u2019s four major metros \u2014 Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata \u2014 forming a quadrilateral shape. It is India\u2019s largest highway project and part of the National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
The Pan-American Highway is the longest motorable road network in the world at approximately 30,000 km, passing through 14 countries from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska (USA) to Ushuaia in Patagonia (Argentina). It is not a single continuous road \u2014 there is an 87 km break called the Dar\u00edn Gap between Panama and Colombia where the highway remains unpaved due to dense jungle and swamp terrain.
NH-44 is the longest national highway in India, stretching approximately 3,806 km from Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. It runs the entire north-to-south length of India and was previously numbered NH-7 before the national highway renumbering exercise conducted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2010.
The Asian Highway Network (AHN) is a cooperative project involving 32 Asian countries, developed under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). It consists of 55 highway routes covering approximately 143,000 km across the continent. Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest individual route at 20,557 km, running from Tokyo in Japan to the Turkey-Bulgaria border through 13 countries including India.
Highway geography appears in UPSC Prelims (Geography, Infrastructure), SSC CGL, Banking General Awareness, and Railway exams. Key tested areas include the longest highway overall (Pan-American), the Dar\u00edn Gap interruption, India\u2019s longest highway (NH-44 and its old number NH-7), the Golden Quadrilateral network, the Karakoram Highway and its Belt and Road connection, and international corridors like AH1 and the North-South Transport Corridor linking India to Russia via Iran.
