Archive · 16 Sep 2026
World’s Longest Highways Span Continents, Countries and Thousands of Kilometres
Some highways are so long that they cross many countries or almost an entire continent.
The Pan-American Highway is the longest route listed, stretching from Alaska to Argentina.
It has one large missing section called the Darién Gap.
Asian Highway 1 connects Tokyo with the Turkey–Bulgaria border.
Australia’s Highway 1 makes a huge loop around the country.
The Trans-Siberian Highway crosses Russia from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.
Some routes are planned corridors, such as the Tripoli–Cape Town Highway, and are not finished yet.
India’s NH 44 and NH 27 are among the country’s longest north-south and east-west highways.
The Pan-American Highway is listed at approximately 30,000 kilometres from Alaska to Argentina, with a break at the Darién Gap.
Asian Highway 1 stretches 20,557 kilometres from Tokyo to the Turkey–Bulgaria border.
Australia’s Highway 1 covers 14,523 kilometres in a loop connecting major cities and state capitals.
The Trans-Siberian Highway runs about 11,000 kilometres from St Petersburg to Vladivostok and was fully paved in 2015.
Other major routes include the proposed Tripoli–Cape Town Highway, Cairo–Cape Town Highway and China’s National Highway 219.
- Who
- The routes, highway networks and countries connected by them.
- What
- A list of the world’s longest highways and the places they connect.
- When
- The article mentions that the Pan-American Highway began taking shape in the 1920s, the Asian Highway Network dates to 1959, Australia’s Highway 1 was created in 1955, and the Trans-Siberian Highway was fully paved in 2015.
- Where
- Across North and South America, Asia, Australia, Russia, Africa, China and India.
- Why
- These highways connect countries, cities, continents and major regional road corridors.
- Longest route listed
- Pan-American Highway — approximately 30,000 kilometres
- Longest Asian route listed
- Asian Highway 1 — 20,557 kilometres
- Longest continuous road
- Australia’s Highway 1 — 14,523 kilometres
- Longest route within Russia
- Trans-Siberian Highway — approximately 11,000 kilometres
- Longest proposed African corridor listed
- Tripoli–Cape Town Highway — 10,808 kilometres
- India’s longest national highway
- NH 44 — 4,113 kilometres
- India’s longest east-west highway listed
- NH 27 — approximately 3,500 kilometres