A route nationale, or simply nationale, is a class of trunk road in France. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve more limited local areas.
Their use is free, except when crossing certain structures subject to a toll. They are open to all vehicles, except on certain sections having motorway (autoroute) or express road (voie express) status, both of these categories being reserved for motorized vehicles only.
France at one time had some 30,500 km of routes nationales and publicly owned motorways. However,this figure has decreased with the transfer of the responsibility for many routes to the départements; by 2010, the total length of motorways and other national roads was around 21,100 km. By way of comparison, routes départementales in the same year covered a total distance of 378,000 km.Figures from the Ministère de l’Écologie]
The layout of the main trunk road network reflects France's centralizing tradition: the majority of them radiate from Paris. The most important trunk roads begin on the parvis of Notre Dame de Paris at a point known as point zéro (kilometre zero). In order to cover the country effectively, there are many other roads that do not serve Paris directly.
History The system dates back to 16 December 1811, when Napoleon designated a number of routes impériales (imperial highways). First-class routes were numbered from 1 to 14; all began at Paris, radiating out in a clockwise manner. Route 1 ran from Paris north to Calais, and is still the general path of route nationale 1. Second-class routes, from 15 to 27, did the same, while third-class routes from 28 to 229 provided less major connections. During the Bourbon Restoration, in 1824, these routes were renamed routes royales (royal highways) and modified. Route 3, Paris to Hamburg via Soissons, Reims and Liège, was renumbered to 31 and 51, and the subsequent routes were shifted down by one. Routes 19 and 20 were completely outside the post-Napoleon France, and so 21 to 27 became 18 to 24. In 1830 the highways were renamed routes nationales.
In the 21st century, the French Government has downgraded many of the former routes nationales, such as the N7 from Paris to the Côte d'Azur, transferring responsibility for them to the départements.
List of routes nationales Routes nationales 1 to 25
! style="width: 3em" | Number ! style="text-align:left" | Runs through: |- |N1|| Paris - Beauvais - Amiens - Abbeville - Boulogne-sur-Mer - Calais - Dunkirk - Belgium (N39) |- |N2|| Paris - Soissons - Laon - Maubeuge - Belgium (N6) |- |N3|| Paris - Meaux - Château-Thierry - Épernay - Châlons-en-Champagne - Verdun - Metz - Germany (B41) |- |N4|| Paris - Vitry-le-François - Saint-Dizier - Toul - Blâmont - Sarrebourg - Strasbourg - Germany (B28) |- |N4A|| Vincennes (N34) - Joinville-le-Pont (N186) |- |N5|| Dijon - Dole - Switzerland (Geneva) - Thonon-les-Bains - Saint-Gingolph - Switzerland (21) |- |N6|| Paris - Melun - Fontainebleau - Sens - Auxerre - Chalon-sur-Saône - Mâcon - Lyon - Chambéry - Modane - Italy (SS25) |- |N7|| Paris - Fontainebleau - Montargis - Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire - Nevers - Moulins - Roanne - Lyon - Vienne - Valence - Montélimar - Orange - Avignon - Aix-en-Provence - Fréjus - Saint-Raphaël - Cannes - Antibes - Nice - Menton - Italy (SS1) |- |N8|| Aix-en-Provence - Marseille - Aubagne - Toulon |- |N9|| Moulins - Clermont-Ferrand - Issoire - Saint-Chély-d'Apcher - Marvejols - Banassac - Millau - Clermont-l'Hérault - Béziers - Narbonne - Perpignan - Spain (N-II) |- |N10|| Saint-Cyr-l'École - Rambouillet - Chartres - Tours - Châtellerault - Poitiers - Angoulême - Bordeaux - Biarritz - Spain (N-I) |- |N11|| Poitiers (N10) - Niort - La Rochelle |- |N12|| Saint-Cyr-l'École - Dreux - Alençon - Fougères - Liffré - Rennes - Saint-Brieuc - Brest |- |N13|| Paris - Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Orgeval - Mantes-la-Jolie - Évreux - Lisieux - Caen - Cherbourg |- |N14|| Paris - Enghien - Pontoise - Rouen |- |N15|| Bonnières-sur-Seine (A13) - Rouen - Yvetot - Le Havre |- |N16|| Pierrefitte (N1) - Creil - Clermont |- |N17|| Le Bourget (N2) - Senlis - Arras - Lille - Hallum Belgium (N32) |- |N18|| Étain - Longuyon - Longwy - Belgium (N830) |- |N19|| Paris - Provins - Troyes - Chaumont - Langres - Vesoul - Belfort - Switzerland |- |N20|| Paris - Étampes - Orléans - Vierzon - Châteauroux - Limoges - Brive - Cahors - Montauban - Toulouse - Foix - Bourg-Madame - Spain (N-152) |- |N21|| Limoges - Périgueux - Bergerac - Agen - Auch - Tarbes - Argelès-Gazost |- |N22|| N20 between Foix and Bourg-Madame - Andorra |- |N23|| Chartres - Le Mans - Angers - Nantes |- |N24|| Rennes - Lorient |- |N25|| Amiens - Arras
Routes nationales 26 to 50
! style="width: 3em" | Number ! style="text-align:left" | Runs through: |- |N26|| Verneuil-sur-Avre (N12) - Argentan |- |N27|| Rouen - Dieppe |- |N28|| Rouen - Abbeville - Dunkirk |- |N29|| Yvetot - Amiens - Saint-Quentin - La Capelle |- |N30|| Bapaume - Cambrai - Valenciennes - Quiévrain |- |N31|| Rouen - Beauvais - Compiègne - Soissons - Reims |- |N32|| Compiègne - La Fère |- |N33|| Saint-Avold - Creutzwald |- |N34|| Vincennes - Coulommiers - Esternay |- |N35|| Saint-Dizier - Bar-le-Duc - Verdun |- |N36|| Meaux - Melun |- |N37|| Saint-Germain-sur-École (A6) - Barbizon (RN7) |- |N38|| Beauvais - Ressons-sur-Matz - Noyon - Charmes; downgraded to D 338, D 938 and D 1032 |- |N39|| Arras - Hesdin - Le Touquet-Paris-Plage |- |N40|| Le Havre - Eu - Calais - Belgium (N39); downgraded to D 940 |- |N41|| Béthune - Lille |- |N42|| Boulogne-sur-Mer - Saint-Omer - Bailleul |- |N43|| Metz - Sedan - La Capelle - Charleville-Mézières - Cambrai - Douai - Lens - Béthune - Saint-Omer - Calais |- |N44|| Cambrai - Saint-Quentin - Laon - Reims - Châlons-en-Champagne - Vitry-le-François |- |N45|| Douai - Valenciennes |- |N46|| Marle-sur-Serre - Parois; downgraded to D 946 |- |N47|| Lens - La Bassée |- |N48|| Valenciennes - Belgium (N60); downgraded to D 935 |- |N49|| Valenciennes - Maubeuge - Jeumont - Belgium (N54) |- |N50|| Arras - Douai
Routes nationales 51 to 75
! style="width: 3em" | Number ! style="text-align:left" | Runs through: |- |N51|| Witry-lès-Reims - RethelOriginally ran from Orléans to Givet. In 1978, the section from Montereau-Fault-Yonne to Épernay was downgraded to D 951 and D 403 while the section from Orléans to Fontainebleau was reassigned to the N 152. In 2005, the Épernay-Reims section was downgraded to D 951 and the Rocroi to Givet section was downgraded to D 8051. |- |N52|| Metz - Thionville - Longwy - Belgium (A28)Originally ran from Uckange to Longwy. In the 1970s, a section from Metz to Florange was added and the section from Uckange to Florange was downgraded to D 952.
|N53|| Thionville - ÉvrangeOriginally began at Metz; the Metz-Thionville section was downgraded to D 953 in 1972 and the remainder was downgraded to D 653 in 2006. |- |N54|| Metz - Boulay-Moselle - Téterchen - Germany (B 269)Downgraded to D 954 in the 1970s. |- |N55|| Metz - Delme - Château-SalinsDowngraded to D 955 in the 1970s. |- |N56|| Saint-Avold - SarralbeDowngraded to D 956 in 2005. |- |N57|| Metz - Nancy - Épinal - Vesoul - Besançon - Pontarlier - Ballaigues |- |N58|| Sedan - BouillonOriginally ran from Pont-à-Mousson to Saulx-en-Barrois; this was downgraded to D 958 in 1972. |- |N59|| Nancy - Saint-Dié-des-Vosges - Raves; originally continued to Sélestat, but this was downgraded to D 1059 in 2021. |- |N60|| Orléans - Montargis - Sens - TroyesDowngraded to D 960, D 60, D 660 and D 2060 in 2005. |- |N61|| Phalsbourg - SaarbrückenPhalsbourg-Hambach downgraded to D 1061 in 2005 and reminder downgraded to D 661 in 2024. |- |N62|| Haguenau - Deux-PontsDowngraded to D 1062, D 662 and D 962 in 1972. |- |N62|| Sarreguemines - HaguenauDowngraded to D 1062 and D 662 in 2005. |- |N63|| Strasbourg - Haguenau - A35 |- |N64|| Charleville-Mézières - Sedan - Verdun - Commercy - Neufchâteau - LureDowngraded to D 964, D 764 (one section now D 8043), D 164 and D 64 in 1972. |- |N65|| Auxerre - A6Originally ran from Neufchâteau to Bonny-sur-Loire; the section from Neufchâteau to Charmont was renumbered to N 74 (itself now D 674) and the remainder downgraded to the D 65 and D 965. |- |N66|| Remiremont - Mulhouse; originally continued to the Swiss border, but this was downgraded to D 66 and D 201. |- |N67|| Saint-Dizier - ChaumontDowngraded to D 570 in 2024. |- |N68|| La Chaussée - LauterbourgMuch of route downgraded in the 1970s to D 468 except for the Illkirch-Graffenstaden – Strasbourg section, which was renumbered to N 83. |- |N69|| Huningue - SwitzerlandDowngraded to D 469 in 1972. |- |N70|| Paray-le-Monial - MontchaninOriginally ran from La Roche-en-Brenil to Combeaufontaine; this was downgraded to D 70. |- |N71|| Troyes - DijonDowngraded to D 671 and D 971 in 2005. |- |N72|| Mont-sous-Vaudrey - PontarlierDowngraded to D 472 and D 72 in 1972. |- |N72|| Ramp to A6 exit 28 (Mâcon-Nord) from the A6 at Sennecé-lès-MâconDowngraded to D 672 in 2006. |- |N73|| Besançon - Dole - Chalon-sur-SaôneOriginally ran from Moulins to Hésingue, but this was downgraded to D 973 in the 1970s. |- |N74|| Sarreguemines - Château-Salins - Nancy - Toul - Chaumont - Langres - Dijon - Beaune - Corpeau (Route des Grands Crus from Dijon to Santenay)Downgraded to D 74, D 674 and D 974 by 2006. |- |N75|| Bourg-en-Bresse - Grenoble - SisteronOriginally continued to Tournus, but this was downgraded to D 975 (one section became N 479; now D 979a) in 1972. The remainder was downgraded to D 1075 and D 4075 in 2005.
Routes nationales 76 to 100
! style="width: 3em" | Number ! style="text-align:left" | Runs through: |- |N76|| Tours - Vierzon - Bourges - Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier |- |N77|| Auxerre - Troyes - Châlons-en-Champagne |- |N77BIS|| Doudoye - SombernonDowngraded to D 977BIS in 1972. |- |N77TER|| Bouillon - SugnyLocated in Belgium; downgraded to D 777 in 1972. Had no connection to the N 77. |- |N78|| Chalon-sur-Saône - Louhans - Lons-le-Saunier - Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux |- |N79|| Montmarault - Mâcon - Bourg-en-Bresse |- |N79A|| Bourbon-Lancy - N 79 (Saint-Aubin-sur-Loire)Downgraded to D 979A in 1972. |- |N80|| Autun - Le Creusot - Chalon-sur-Saône |- |N81|| Nevers - Autun - Pouilly-en-Auxois |- |N82|| Roanne - Saint-Étienne - Chanas |- |N83|| Lyon - Bourg-en-Bresse - Lons-le-Saunier - Besançon - Belfort - Colmar - Strasbourg |- |N83A|| N 83 - A36 exit 14Downgraded to D 1083 in 2006. |- |N83BIS|| La Villeneuve - Saint-MarcelBecame a portion of the N 73 in 1972; had no connection whatsoever to the N 83. |- |N84|| Lyon - Nantua - Bellegarde-sur-Valserine |- |N84A|| Meximieux - Saint-Denis-en-BugeyBecame a portion of a rerouted N 84 (the old route of N 84 became D 984) in 1972. |- |N84B|| Collonges - SwitzerlandDowngraded to D 984B in 1972. |- |N84C|| Saint-Genis-Pouilly - SwitzerlandDowngraded to D 984C in 1972; the old route via Vesancy is now D 75H following construction of a new route between Gex and Divonne-les-Bains. |- |N84D|| La Cluse - OyonnaxDowngraded to D 984D in 1972. |- |N85|| Bourgoin-Jallieu - Grenoble - Gap - Digne-les-Bains - Grasse - Cannes |- |N85A|| N 85 - La Chapelle-en-ValgaudémarDowngraded to D 985A in 1972. |- |N86|| Bollène - Bagnols-sur-Cèze; formerly a section of the D 994 (and N 94 before that).Originally ran from Lyon to Nîmes via Beaucaire. Downgraded to D 86, D 386, D 486 D 1086 and D 6086 by 2006. |- |N87|| Grenoble southern ring roadOriginally ran from Remoulins to Pézenas via Nîmes, Lunel, Montpellier and Mèze. In 1952, the section from Remoulins to Nîmes became a portion of an extended N 86 and the section from Nîmes to Pézenas became a portion of the N 113. |- |N88|| Lyon - Saint-Étienne - Le Puy-en-Velay - Mende - Rodez - Albi - Toulouse |- |N89|| Lyon - Thiers - Clermont-Ferrand - Tulle - Périgueux - Libourne - Bordeaux |-