The 25 Longest Toll Roads in the World
From China's epic 5,700km expressway to America's Interstate corridors, explore the mega highway systems that span continents and connect nations.
Overview: The World's Mega Highway Systems
The longest toll roads represent extraordinary feats of engineering, connecting cities, regions, and even entire countries. These mega highways span thousands of kilometers, crossing deserts, mountains, and coastlines while generating billions in annual toll revenue.
🎯 Key Insights
- China dominates with 5 of the top 10 longest toll roads
- Combined length of top 25 roads: 74,390 kilometers
- Asia has the longest roads; Oceania has the highest costs per km
- Total cost to drive all 25 roads: approximately $4,800
- Average length of roads in top 25: 2,976 kilometers
Complete Top 25 Rankings
Showing 25 roads worldwide. Click "Compare" on up to 3 roads to see detailed side-by-side comparison.
Pan-American Highway (Toll Sections)
Multiple (Peru, Mexico, Chile)
Key Features
- • Longest road system globally
- • Crosses 14 countries
- • Mix of free and toll sections
Notable Information
Connects Alaska to Argentina, though not fully continuous
China National Highway 010 (G010)
China
Key Features
- • Longest single toll expressway
- • Crosses Gobi Desert
- • Connects Harbin to Hainan
Notable Information
Spans from far north to tropical south of China
Trans-Canada Highway (Toll Sections)
Canada
Key Features
- • Spans entire width of Canada
- • Limited toll sections
- • Scenic national route
Notable Information
Mostly free except for specific bridges and sections
China National Highway 030 (G030)
China
Key Features
- • East-West expressway
- • Modern infrastructure
- • High-speed corridor
Notable Information
Connects Beijing to Urumqi in Western China
Australian Highway 1
Australia
Key Features
- • Circles entire continent
- • Most expensive per km
- • World's longest national highway
Notable Information
Only urban approaches are tolled; outback sections free
China G6 Jingzang Expressway
China
Key Features
- • World's highest expressway
- • Reaches 5,200m elevation
- • Engineering marvel
Notable Information
Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet - extreme altitude sections
European Route E40
Multiple (France to Kazakhstan)
Key Features
- • Crosses 8 countries
- • Atlantic to Asia
- • Mix of toll and free sections
Notable Information
Free in Eastern Europe, tolled in France/Belgium
Mexico Federal Highway 15D
Mexico
Key Features
- • Pacific coast route
- • Modern autopista
- • Alternative free route exists
Notable Information
Nogales to Mexico City - premium toll highway
India National Expressway 1
India
Key Features
- • Golden Quadrilateral section
- • High traffic volume
- • Economic corridor
Notable Information
Delhi to Mumbai - India's busiest toll expressway
Brazil BR-116
Brazil
Key Features
- • Longest highway in Brazil
- • Rio to Southern border
- • Critical freight route
Notable Information
Partially tolled - northern sections free
Japan Tohoku Expressway
Japan
Key Features
- • Premium expressway
- • Excellent service areas
- • Earthquake-resistant design
Notable Information
Tokyo to Aomori - major northern corridor
European Route E45
Multiple (Norway to Italy)
Key Features
- • North Cape to Sicily
- • Crosses 6 countries
- • Alpine tunnels
Notable Information
Germany and Austria sections free with vignette
Argentina National Route 9
Argentina
Key Features
- • Buenos Aires to Bolivia border
- • Key trade route
- • Andes mountain passes
Notable Information
Longest fully tolled route in South America
China G50 Shanghai-Chongqing
China
Key Features
- • Coastal to interior
- • Economic development corridor
- • Modern infrastructure
Notable Information
Connects China's financial hub to western regions
South Africa N3
South Africa
Key Features
- • Johannesburg to Durban
- • Major freight corridor
- • Mountain passes
Notable Information
Africa's busiest toll highway
France A10 Autoroute
France
Key Features
- • Paris to Spanish border
- • Atlantic corridor
- • Premium service areas
Notable Information
L'Aquitaine - major vacation route
USA Interstate 95 (Toll Sections)
United States
Key Features
- • East Coast main artery
- • Highest US traffic volume
- • Mix of free and toll
Notable Information
Maine to Florida - partially tolled by state
Turkey O-4 Highway
Turkey
Key Features
- • Europe to Asia crossing
- • Bosphorus bridges
- • Modern expressway
Notable Information
Istanbul bypass and eastern connection
Italy A1 Autostrada
Italy
Key Features
- • Milan to Naples
- • Busiest in Italy
- • Historic route
Notable Information
Autostrada del Sole - "Highway of the Sun"
Spain AP-7
Spain
Key Features
- • Mediterranean coast
- • Recently made toll-free
- • Major tourist route
Notable Information
Tolls removed in 2020 - now completely free
Japan Meishin Expressway
Japan
Key Features
- • Nagoya-Osaka-Kobe corridor
- • Highest Japanese traffic
- • World-class service areas
Notable Information
Japan's first expressway and busiest toll road
Poland A1
Poland
Key Features
- • Baltic to Czech border
- • EU-funded sections
- • Modern design
Notable Information
Poland's longest toll motorway
South Korea Gyeongbu Expressway
South Korea
Key Features
- • Seoul to Busan
- • Highest traffic density globally
- • Affordable tolls
Notable Information
Most congested expressway in the world
Indonesia Trans-Java Toll Road
Indonesia
Key Features
- • Spans entire Java island
- • Economic development project
- • Reduces travel time by 50%
Notable Information
Connects Jakarta to Surabaya
USA Pennsylvania Turnpike
United States
Key Features
- • One of first US toll roads
- • Most expensive US toll road
- • Mountain tunnels
Notable Information
Crossing Pennsylvania - historic and expensive
Regional Distribution
The world's longest toll roads are not evenly distributed. Asia leads in both number and total length, while Oceania has the fewest but most expensive per kilometer.
Asia
Americas
Europe
Oceania
Africa
Continental Comparison
Mega Highway Systems
Some toll roads are part of larger integrated highway systems that span entire countries or regions. These mega systems represent decades of investment and planning.
China National Highway System
Achievement: World's largest highway system, built primarily since 2000. Connects all major cities with modern toll expressways featuring rest areas every 50km.
European Route System
Achievement: Integrated cross-border system with varying toll policies. Some countries free (Germany), others use vignettes (Austria), others distance-based (France).
US Interstate System
Achievement: Mostly funded by federal gas tax, but some sections tolled. East Coast has extensive toll roads; West is largely free.
Japan Expressway Network
Achievement: Entire network is tolled and maintained to exceptional standards. Famous for world-class service areas with restaurants and shopping.
Record Holders & Superlatives
Longest Single Toll Road
Harbin to Hainan Island - spans entire length of China
Most Expensive (Total)
If driving all toll sections from Peru to Mexico
Most Expensive (Per km)
Urban toll sections charge premium rates
Highest Traffic Volume
Seoul to Busan - world's busiest expressway
Highest Elevation
Beijing to Lhasa - crosses Tibetan plateau
Oldest Still Operating
One of America's first long-distance toll roads
Most Affordable
Low-cost toll system for developing economy
Recently Made Free
2,080 km of tolls eliminated
🌟 Did You Know?
Time to Drive All 25 Roads
That's 51.6 days of non-stop driving at 60 km/h average, or about 2 months of 8-hour driving days.
Total Toll Cost
Combined cost to drive the entire length of all 25 roads. Add fuel (~$18,000) for total trip cost of ~$23,000.
Could Circle Earth
The combined 74,390 km could wrap around Earth's equator (40,075 km) nearly twice!
Daily Users
Estimated combined daily traffic across all 25 roads - over 440 million vehicles annually.
Interesting Comparisons
Length Comparisons
China's longest toll road is 4.2 times longer than the entire length of the United Kingdom from north to south.
Australia's tolled Highway 1 sections are nearly identical in length to the historic Route 66, but Highway 1 circles an entire continent.
The combined length of just the top 5 longest toll roads exceeds the world's longest railway by 2.3 times.
Cost Comparisons
Driving 1,000 km in Australia costs 8 times more than in India - despite India having newer expressways.
Despite similar road quality and traffic, Japan's tolls are 5 times more expensive than South Korea's.
Pan-American Highway sections cost 17 times more than Indonesia's Trans-Java despite being only 10x longer.
Traffic Density Comparisons
Engineering Feats
Highest Elevation
China G6 Jingzang Expressway
Reaches 5,200 meters above sea level crossing the Tibetan plateau - higher than any mountain in the lower 48 US states. Engineering challenges include permafrost, low oxygen, and extreme weather.
Most Bridges & Tunnels
Japan Tohoku Expressway
Over 40% of the route consists of bridges and tunnels due to mountainous terrain. Built to withstand magnitude 8+ earthquakes with advanced seismic engineering.
Longest Desert Crossing
China G010 Highway
Crosses the Gobi Desert for over 1,000 km with minimal services. Features sand-drift prevention systems, extreme temperature resistance (-40°C to +50°C), and emergency call boxes every 2 km.
Future Mega Projects
India Bharatmala Project
Massive infrastructure program to connect all major Indian cities with modern toll expressways. Will include multiple 2,000+ km routes comparable to those in this list.
African Trans-Highway Network
Ambitious plan to connect African capitals with modern highways. Once complete, several routes would rank among world's longest toll roads.
China Belt & Road Initiative
Extending Chinese expressway network through Central Asia to Europe. Will create world's longest continuous toll highway system when complete.
Brazil Highway Concessions
Major program to upgrade and toll existing highways through PPP concessions. Will significantly expand Brazil's presence in longest toll roads rankings.
Data Sources & Methodology
📊 How We Compiled This List
Length Measurements: Total length includes only toll sections of highways. Where roads have both toll and free sections (e.g., Pan-American Highway), only tolled kilometers are counted.
Cost Calculations: Average costs represent typical passenger vehicle tolls as of 2025. Actual costs vary by vehicle class, time of day, and payment method. Calculations use standard 2-axle car rates.
Traffic Data: Daily traffic figures represent average annual daily traffic (AADT) from most recent available data. Actual daily traffic varies significantly by season and day of week.
🔍 Primary Sources
- Official highway operator websites and annual reports
- National transportation ministry data (China MOT, USDOT, etc.)
- IBTTA (International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association) database
- IRF (International Road Federation) World Road Statistics
- Individual toll road authority publications
- Academic research papers on highway systems
- Verified media reports and industry publications
⚠️ Important Notes
📅 Last Updated
March 2025. Data reviewed and updated quarterly. Major changes to toll status, new road openings, or significant extensions will trigger immediate updates. Report an error