M1 motorway

The **M1 motorway** is an important motorway in England. It joins London and Leeds. It was the second motorway to be built in the UK, after the Preston bypass (which later formed part of the M6). It was the first UK motorway to be built that joined two cities, London and Birmingham.

## Location

The motorway is 193 miles (310 km) long. It was built in four phases. Some of the motorway was opened in 1959. Other sections opened between 1965 and 1968. Two extensions were opened in 1977 and 1999.

The motorway is part of the unsigned European route E13.

## History

The first section of the motorway opened between Junction 5 (Watford) and Junction 18 (Rugby). It opened on 2 November 1959. This included two of the motorway's spurs, the M10 at Junction 7, and the M45 at Junction 17. It followed near to the A5.

In 1965, an extension from Junction 18 towards Yorkshire was built. The motorway takes a more northerly route through the East Midlands. It passes near Leicester, Loughborough and Nottingham to Sheffield . Here the M18 splits from the M1 at Junction 32.

In 1972 an extension of the M1 was opened into central Leeds. It was called the Leeds South Eastern Motorway. It meets the Leeds South Western Motorway (M621) at Junction 43.

The first motorway service station was built on the M1 in 1959. It is currently operated by RoadChef.

## Junctions

|scope=col|mile|scope=col|km|scope=col abbr="Southbound"|Southbound exits (B carriageway)|scope=col|Junction|scope=col abbr="Northbound"|Northbound exits (A carriageway)|scope=col|Coordinates|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|colspan="6"|**M1 motorway junctions**|||||||||||
|7.0|11.3|North Circular (West), Brent Cross, Wembley, Hanger Lane, (A406 West)|J1 _Southern terminus_|_Start of motorway_|<small></small>|||||||
|9.1 9.2|14.6 14.8|Central London (The City), Holloway North Circular (A406)(E) A1|J2|No access|<small></small>|||||||
|12.0|19.3|_London Gateway services_|_Services_|_London Gateway services_|<small></small>|||||||
|13.2 13.5|21.3 21.8|Harrow, Edgware A41 (A406 North)|J4|No access|<small></small>|||||||
|17.1 17.5|27.5 28.1|Harrow, Aylesbury A41 Watford A4008|J5|Aylesbury, Watford, M25 (West) A41|<small></small>|||||||
|19.7 20.0|31.7 32.2|North Watford A405|J6|St Albans, Harlow, M25 (East) A405|<small></small>|||||||
|20.4 20.8|32.9 33.5|Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, M40, M4, M3 Stansted Airport, Dartford, M11, M20|J6a _M25 interchange_|No access|<small></small>|||||||
|22.5 22.7|36.2 36.6|St Albans, Hatfield A414|J7|No access|<small></small>|||||||
|23.5 23.8|37.8 38.3|Hemel Hempstead|J8|Hemel Hempstead A414|<small></small>|||||||
|27.9 28.3|44.9 45.6|Redbourn A5183|J9|Dunstable, Redbourn A5183|<small></small>|||||||
|30.3 30.6|48.8 49.2|Luton Airport A1081|J10|Luton (S) & Airport A1081|<small></small>|||||||
|33.7 34.0|54.3 54.7|Luton (Centre), Dunstable A505|J11|Luton (Centre), Dunstable A505|<small></small>|||||||
|||Dunstable (North), Aylesbury A5, A505, A5505|J11A|Dunstable (North), Aylesbury A5, A505, A5505|<small></small>|||||||
|38.9|62.6|_Toddington services_|_Services_|_Toddington services_|<small></small>|||||||
|38.5 38.9|62.0 62.6|Flitwick A5120|J12|Flitwick A5120|<small></small>|||||||
|45.2 45.4|72.7 73.1|Bedford A421 Woburn, Ampthill A507|J13|Bedford, Milton Keynes (South) A421|<small></small>|||||||
|49.7 50.2|80.0 80.8|Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell A509|J14|Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell A509|<small></small>|||||||
|53.7|86.5|_Newport Pagnell services_|_Services_|_Newport Pagnell services_|<small></small>|||||||
|61.8 62.3|99.4 100.2|Northampton, Wellingborough A45|J15|Northampton, Wellingborough A45|<small></small>|||||||
|64.3 64.9|103.5 104.5|Northampton, Oxford A43 (M40) _Northampton services_|J15a _Services_|Northampton, Oxford A43 (M40) _Northampton Services_|<small></small>|||||||
|67.9 68.3|109.2 109.9|Northampton A4500|J16|Daventry A45|<small></small>|||||||
|75.1|120.8|_Watford Gap services_|_Services_|_Watford Gap services_|<small></small>|||||||
|76.6 76.9|123.3 123.8|No access|J17|Coventry (S) M45|<small></small>|||||||
|78.5 78.9|126.3 126.9|Daventry, DIRFT A428|J18|Hinckley A5 Rugby A428 DIRFT|<small></small>|||||||
|82.3 82.7|132.4 133.1|Felixstowe, Corby, Kettering A14|J19 _M6/A14 interchange_||The North West Coventry, Birmingham M6|<small></small>||||||
|85.5 86.1|137.6 138.5|Lutterworth A4303 Rugby (A426)|J20|Lutterworth A4303 Market Harborough A4304|<small></small>|||||||
|96.1 96.6|154.6 155.4|Coventry, Birmingham M69 (M6) Leicester A5460|J21|Coventry M69 Leicester A5460|<small></small>|||||||
|97.7|157.2|_Leicester Forest East services_|_Services_|_Leicester Forest East services_|<small></small>|||||||
|99.3 99.5|159.8 160.1|No access|J21a|Leicester (N), Newark A46|<small></small>|||||||
|104.3 104.7|167.8 168.5|Leicester A50, Coalville A511|J22|Ashby, Coalville A511|<small></small>|||||||
|108.8 109.2|175.1 175.8|Loughborough, Shepshed A512|J23|Loughborough, Shepshed A512|<small></small>|||||||
|113.4 113.6|182.5 182.8|The SOUTH WEST, Tamworth, Birmingham, A42 (M42)|J23a _Services_|East Midlands  A453 _Donington Park services_|<small></small>|||||||
|114.9 115.4|184.9 185.7|Nottingham, East Midlands  A453 _Donington Park services_|J24|Stoke A50 Derby (A6) Nottingham (S) A453|<small></small>|||||||
|115.8 116.2|186.3 187.0|Stoke A50 Derby (A6)|J24a|No access|<small></small>|||||||
|120.0 120.5|193.2 193.9|Nottingham, Derby A52|J25|Derby, Nottingham A52|<small></small>|||||||
|124.1|199.8|_Trowell services_|_Services_|_Trowell services_|<small></small>|||||||
|126.0 126.6|202.8 203.7|Nottingham  A610|J26|Ripley, Nottingham A610|<small></small>|||||||
|131.5 132.0|211.7 212.4|Heanor, Hucknall A608|J27|Mansfield A608|<small></small>|||||||
|135.0 135.5|217.2 218.0|Derby A38 Matlock (A615)|J28|Mansfield A38 Matlock (A615)|<small></small>|||||||
|138.3|222.5|_Tibshelf services_|_Services_|_Tibshelf services_|<small></small>|||||||
|141.7 142.3|228.1 229.0|Mansfield A617 Matlock (A632)|J29|Chesterfield A617|<small></small>|||||||
|||Markham Vale A6192 Bolsover (A632)|J29a|Markham Vale A6192 Bolsover (A632)|<small></small>|||||||
|148.4 148.8|238.9 239.5|Chesterfield (A619) Newark A616|J30|Sheffield (S) A6135 Worksop (A619)|<small></small>|||||||
|151.3|243.5|_Woodall services_|_Services_|_Woodall services_|<small></small>|||||||
|153.8 154.2|247.5 248.2|Worksop A57|J31|Sheffield (SE), Rotherham (S) A57|<small></small>|||||||
|156.3 156.6|251.6 252.1|The NORTH, Doncaster, Hull M18|J32 _M18 interchange_|The NORTH, Doncaster, Hull, Rotherham (E) M18|<small></small>|||||||
|158.8 159.2|255.6 256.2|Sheffield (C), Rotherham (C) A630|J33|Sheffield (C), Rotherham (C) A630|<small></small>|||||||
|161.5 161.7|259.9 260.3|Sheffield (E), Rotherham (C), Meadowhall A6109:|J34|Sheffield (E), Rotherham (C), Meadowhall A6178:|<small></small>|||||||
|164.9 165.4|265.4 266.2|Rotherham (N) A629|J35|Rotherham (N) A629|<small></small>|||||||
|166.7 166.9|268.2 268.6|No access|J35a|Manchester A616|<small></small>|||||||
|168.0 168.5|270.3 271.2|Sheffield (N), Barnsley A61|J36|Barnsley (S) A61|<small></small>|||||||
|172.1 172.6|276.9 277.8|Barnsley, Manchester A628|J37|Manchester, Barnsley A628|<small></small>|||||||
|176.4 176.9|283.9 284.7|Huddersfield A637|J38|Huddersfield A637|<small></small>|||||||
|178.5|287.2|_Woolley Edge services_|_Services_|_Woolley Edge services_|<small></small>|||||||
|179.9 180.4|289.5 290.4|Denby Dale A636|J39|Wakefield A636|<small></small>|||||||
|182.6 183.0|293.8 294.5|Wakefield, Dewsbury A638|J40|Dewsbury, Wakefield A638|<small></small>|||||||
|185.1 185.6|297.9 298.7|Wakefield, Morley A650|J41|Wakefield A650|<small></small>|||||||
|186.5 187.0|300.1 301.0|Hull, Pontefract, Manchester, Bradford M62|J42 _M62 interchange_|Manchester, Bradford, Leeds/Bradford Hull M62|<small></small>|||||||
|188.4 189.0|303.2 304.1|No access|J43|Leeds M621|<small></small>|||||||
|189.4 189.9|304.8 305.6|Leeds A639 (M621)|J44|Leeds (S) A639|<small></small>|||||||
|190.8 191.2|307.1 307.7|Leeds A63|J45|Leeds (SE) A63|<small></small>|||||||
|193.7 194.0|311.7 312.2|Leeds (E) A6120|J46|Leeds (E), Leeds/Bradford  A6120 Selby A63|<small></small>|||||||
|196.6 197.0|316.4 317.1|Castleford A656 Garforth A642|J47|Garforth A642 The SOUTH (A1(M))|<small></small>|||||||
|197.7|318.1|_Start of motorway_|A1(M), J43 _Northern terminus_|The NORTH, Wetherby A1(M) York (A64)|<small></small>|||||||
|colspan=6|**Notes** *Data from driver location signs/distance marker posts are used to provide distance and carriageway identification information. Where a junction spans several hundred metres and the data is available, both the start and finish values for the junction are shown. Coordinate data from ACME Mapper.|||||||||||

## Infobox (road)

- **country**: GBR
- **type**: M
- **route**: 1
- **alternate name**: London – Yorkshire motorway
- **map**: M1 motorway (Great Britain) map.svg
- **photo**: Motorway M1 Yorkshire 2007-08-13.jpg
- **photo notes**: Looking north towards junction 37, 2007
- **length mi**: 193.5
- **established**: 1959
- **history**: Opened: 1959
Completed: 1999
- **direction a**: South
- **direction b**: North
- **terminus a**: Staples Corner, London (A406 road, A406)

- **terminus b**: Hook Moor, West Yorkshire (A1(M))

- **counties**: Greater London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire (South Yorkshire, South & West Yorkshire,  West)
- **destinations**: London
Brent Cross
Watford
St Albans
Hemel Hempstead
Luton
Milton Keynes
Northampton
Rugby, Warwickshire, Rugby
 Leicester
Loughborough
Nottingham
Derby
Mansfield
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield
Sheffield
Rotherham
Barnsley
Wakefield
Leeds
- **maint**: National Highways
- **junction**:
J6a → M25 motorway

J17 → M45 motorway

J19 → M6 motorway

J21 → M69 motorway

J32 → M18 motorway (Great Britain), M18 motorway

J42 → M62 motorway

J43 → M621 motorway

A1(M) motorway
- **previous type**: M
- **next type**: M
- **previous route**: 1
- **next route**: 2