A1 autoroute

A1 autoroute shield
A1 autoroute
Autoroute du Nord
Route information
Part of E15 / E17 / E19 / E42
Maintained by SANEF
Length211 km (131 mi)
Existed1967–present
Major junctions
South endParis (Porte de la Chapelle)
Major intersections
North end A 25 in Lille
Location
CountryFrance
Highway system
  • Roads in France
The A1 near Roissy-en-France
The A1 near Péronne

The A1 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Nord (the Northern Motorway), is the busiest of France's autoroutes. With a length of 211 km (131 mi), it connects Paris with the northern city of Lille. It is managed by the Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France (SANEF). The autoroute serves the northern suburbs of Paris, including the Stade de France, Le Bourget, Paris' Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport, and Parc Astérix. From there it crosses Hauts-de-France, without directly passing through any of the major cities of the région. Throughout Hauts-de-France, the A1 runs parallel to the LGV Nord.

Around 120 km (75 mi) from Paris, between the towns of Amiens and Saint-Quentin and near the Aire de service de Cœur des Hauts-de-France (the largest motorway plaza in Europe), the A1 crosses over the A29. A few dozen kilometers further north it forms the southern terminus of the A2, which branches off towards Brussels. The A1 is also crossed by the A26, the A21 and the A22, and it makes up part of European routes E15, E17, E19 and E42. At its northern terminus, the A1 turns into the A25.