Road routes in Western Australia assist drivers navigating roads in urban, rural, and scenic areas of the state. The route numbering system is composed of National Highways, National Routes, State Routes, and Tourist Drives. Each route has a unique number, except for National Highway 1 and National Route 1, which mark Highway 1 in Western Australia. Routes are denoted on directional signs and roadside poles by appropriately numbered markers, the design of which varies according to route type.

National Highways and National Routes are designated by the federal government along roads of national importance, whilst State Routes and Tourist Drives are designated by the State Government. Highways and some arterial roads are controlled and maintained by Main Roads Western Australia. The remaining roads are generally the responsibility of local governments, though there are also some private roads and Department of Environment and Conservation roads.

Many major roads in Perth and in rural Western Australia are not assigned a route number. Not many routes have been added in the Perth and Peel regions since the 1990s with the exceptions including the Graham Farmer Freeway in 2000 and Mandjoogoordap Drive in 2010. A subsequent review of the system was undertaken in 2024 which resulted in additional route numbers being assigned to a number of roads throughout regional Western Australia.

Western Australia is the only remaining state to use the 1950s system in full (other than there being 1 National Route), while other states have either discontinued it in favour of an alphanumeric system or switched to a cheaper hybrid system, followed by phasing out the National Highway system. There are no definite plans to stop using it.

National Highways and Routes National Highways are designated with gold numbers on a green shield. These are the most direct routes between Perth and other Australian capital cities. Black on white shields indicate National Routes that are not part of the National Highway system. Highway 1 is a route that circumnavigates Australia, joining all mainland state capitals, via roads numbered as National Highway 1 or National Route 1 (or as M1, A1, or B1 in states with an alphanumeric route numbering system). Route Component roads From Via To Length NotesNational Highway 1WA/NT borderPort HedlandContinues west from Port Hedland as National Route 1 Eyre HighwayWA/SA borderBalladoniaNorsemanContinues south from Norseman as National Route 1National Highway 94Victoria ParkNorsemanNational Highway 95MidvalePort HedlandNational Route 1Port HedlandNorsemanContinues east from Port Hedland and Norseman as National Highway 1Alternate National Route 94CoolgardieWidgiemooltha

State Routes State Routes in Western Australia are designated by a white number on a blue shield. Single digit routes travel completely or partially along urban freeways or highways. Two digit route numbers that end in zero are the major road routes out of Perth, except for Route 10, which designates rural highway connections in the South West region. Other two digit routes connect the urban centres of Perth, while three digit routes connect regional and remote areas of Western Australia. Route Component roads From Via To Length NotesState Route 2AlkimosPerth Lake CliftonBunburyState Route 3North BeachMiddle SwanBibra LakeState Route 4MucheaPerth AirportOakfordState Route 5FremantlePerthVictoria Park (westbound) Realigned to Birdiya Drive from Mounts Bay Road in January 2022.State Route 6FremantleApplecrossVictoria ParkState Route 7FremantleBrentwoodPerth AirportState Route 8West PerthWattle GroveCarmelState Route 10BunburyKarridaleAugustaKarridaleNannupShannonState Route 12FremantleHendersonNaval BaseState Route 13FremantleCanning ValeHaynesState Route 14South FremantleBibra LakeArmadaleRerouted after road upgrades and extensionsState Route 18East RockinghamSafety BayBaldivisState Route 19Stake HillMeadow SpringsMandurahState Route 20ArmadaleBunburyState Route 21Kwinana BeachOakfordByfordState Route 22RockinghamBaldivisJarrahdaleState Route 26ManningBentleyCanningtonState Route 27ShelleyRivertonLynwoodState Route 30Victoria ParkArmadaleAlbanyAlternate State Route 30BeckenhamKenwickSection bypassed by Kenwick Link Once mistakenly signed as Alternate National Route 30, Alternate National Highway 30 and briefly Alternate National Highway 94State Route 31CanningtonForrestdaleOakfordState Route 36LangfordThornlieGosnellsState Route 40KelmscottBrooktonRavensthorpeState Route 41High WycombeKalamundaKarragullenState Route 50Middle SwanJane BrookToodyayState Route 51PerthGuildfordBellevueState Route 52BelhusMiddle SwanGuildfordState Route 53PerthMorleyWhitemanState Route 55DianellaAscotHazelmereState Route 56LandsdaleDianellaWest PerthPreviously ended at Bulwer Street (State Route 72) although a 2024 update now has State Route 56 extending down to Roe Street.State Route 60West PerthArrowsmithState Route 61CrawleyWest PerthJoondanna State Route 64StirlingOsborne ParkShenton ParkPrevious alignment via Odin Road and Scarborough Beach Road was revoked in December 2023.State Route 65City BeachFloreatPerthState Route 66Mount LawleyEast PerthState Route 71CottesloeHillarysMerriwaYanchepState Route 72PerthLeedervilleCity BeachState Route 75Mount LawleyOsborne ParkScarboroughState Route 76TriggMorleyCavershamState Route 81DuncraigGirrawheenBallajuraState Route 82HillarysMadeleyCullacabardeeRoute number extended from Wanneroo Road to Tonkin Highway in 2019State Route 83DuncraigWoodvaleLandsdaleShortened after road upgrades and extensionsState Route 84Ocean ReefMullalooHenley BrookRerouted after road upgrades and extensionsState Route 85EdgewaterJoondalupBullsbrookPreviously extended to Great Northern Highway via Railway Parade and Rutland Road until 2019State Route 87Burns BeachKinrossNeerabupState Route 101AustralindPicton EastGelorupAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.State Route 102ManjimupRocky GullyMount BarkerState Route 103Mount MelvilleKing RiverAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.<ref name="WAStateRoutes2024"State Route 104BusseltonJarrahwoodNannupState Route 107RoelandsWaginLake KingState Route 115NorthamWongan HillsPitharaState Route 116BindoonMingenewDongaraState Route 120ToodyayCranbrookState Route 123GeraldtonMount MagnetState Route 132MeekatharraKambaldaAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.State Route 136NanutarraParaburdooTom PriceShortened in 2024 as part of the regional route expansion. Previously routed via the mostly unsealed Nanutarra-Wittenoom Road.State Route 138NewmanMarble BarPort HedlandApprox 230 km is unsealed roadState Route 139NorthamptonPort GregoryKalbarriRoute signposted in March 2016 and extended to include Red Bluff Road in 2023State Route 142KarrathaTom PriceJuna Downs + Not yet completed, signposted at each end.State Route 150MinyirrBroomeRoebuckAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.State Route 151BroomeCape LevequeArdyaloonAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.State Route 152DerbyWyndhamAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.State Route 154WillareDerbyAdded as part of the 2024 expansion. State Route 155KununurraWyndhamAdded as part of the 2024 expansion.

Tourist Drives

Tourist Drives, designated by white numbers on a brown shield, are routes through areas of scenic or historic significance. Tourist Drives were introduced into Western Australia while Eric Charlton was the state government Minister for Transport in the 1990s. The 28 numbered routes collectively traverse more than across the state. In addition to the Tourist Drives, there are also unnumbered routes such as the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail, and local governments may designate and maintain local scenic drives, generally unnamed and unnumbered. Route Component roads From Via To Length NotesKings ParkTourist Drive 200Kings Park Road / Malcolm StreetState War MemorialKings Park circular routeDecommissioned John ForrestTourist Drive 201Great Eastern Highway, DarlingtonGreat Eastern Highway, Glen ForrestRoute through John Forrest National ParkRockingham CoastalTourist Drive 202Kwinana BeachWarnbroRockingham coastal routeSwan ValleyTourist Drive 203GuildfordGuildfordSwan Valley circular routeSunset CoastTourist Drive 204Stirling Bridge, North FremantleCottesloeSwanbourneRoute along Perth's northern beachesCity BeachOcean ReefHeritage CountryTourist Drive 205ArmadaleArmadaleDarling Range dams circular routeKingsburyTourist Drive 206JarrahdaleJarrahdaleJarrah forest circular routeDarling RangeTourist Drive 207MundaringMundaring WeirKalamundaMundaring Weir routeCaves RoadTourist Drive 250Cape NaturalisteCape LeeuwinCape Naturaliste–Cape Leeuwin coastal routeBlackwood RiverTourist Drive 251BalingupNannupBridgetownBlackwood River route. The direct route from Balingup to Bridgetown is along South Western Highway.PorongurupTourist Drive 252Mount BarkerPorongurupChester Pass Road east of PorongurupPorongurup National Park routeAvon HistoricTourist Drive 254ToodyayBeverleyAvon River routeScotsdaleTourist Drive 255DenmarkScotsdaleGreens PoolLake ArgyleTourist Drive 256Victoria Highway near WA/NT borderLake ArgyleAlbany HistoricTourist Drive 257Middleton BeachWestern Australian Museum – AlbanyAlbany coastal routeFrenchman BayTourist Drive 258TorndirrupFrenchman BayRoute through Torndirrup National ParkKarriTourist Drive 259ManjimupSouth Western Highway near QuinninupKarri forest routeAustralind BunburyTourist Drive 260LeschenaultBunburyGeikie–WindjanaTourist Way 350Geikie Gorge National ParkDerby Gibb River Road near Lennard RiverOnly accessible in the dry season, from April to NovemberCossackTourist Way 351Burrup PeninsulaPoint SamsonNorth West Shelf coastal routeCape RangeTourist Way 352LearmonthExmouthYardie Creek in Cape Range National ParkNorth West Cape coastal routeShark BayTourist Way 353Overlander RoadhouseMonkey MiaShark Bay routeBatavia CoastTourist Way 354DongaraKalbarri National Park (south of Kalbarri)CollieTourist Way 355South Western Highway near RoelandsCollieCollie River in MujaGreat SouthernTourist Way 356BeverleyAlbanyGreat Southern Railway routeGoldfieldsTourist Way 357Coolgardie Camel Farm, west of CoolgardieCoolgardieKalgoorlieGoldfields route. Superseded by the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail.EsperanceTourist Way 358EsperancePink LakeRoute along the Esperance coast and Pink Lake; forms most of a loop route (Pink Lake Road joins the two ends)Chittering ValleyTourist Way 359Ashby (north of Wanneroo)BullsbrookChitteringGnangara-Moore River State Forest and Chittering Valley routeMidlandsTourist Way 360Upper SwanWatheroo National Park

Decommissioned routes Whilst the following routes are decommissioned, the component roads generally still exist as physical roads, but without route signposts. Route Component roads From Via To Length NotesState Route 34RivervaleKewdaleReplaced by State Route 8State Route 35East Victoria ParkWelshpoolCarmelReplaced by State Route 8 (east of Roe Highway only).State Route 77GwelupBalcattaWarwickRevoked in March 2024. Replaced by Reid HighwayState Route 86AshbyMariginiupBullsbrookReplaced by Tourist Drive 359 (entire length) and State Route 85 on all but Pinjar Road.

See also

List of major roads in Perth, Western Australia List of major roads in rural Western Australia List of highways in Western Australia

References

Route references

Distance book (12 ed.), MRWA Metropolitan Arterial Roads, WA Land Information Authority State Map, WA Land Information Authority

Further reading