North America Primary and Secondary Roads Map: Canada, USA and Mexico
This interactive map displays the primary roads, secondary roads, and major ferry routes of North America, covering Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico. The data comes from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) North American Environmental Atlas, reflecting the road network as of 2020. Use the filter buttons to isolate primary roads, secondary roads, or ferry routes across any of the three countries.
How to Use This Map
Filtering by Road Type
The four filter buttons above the map control which features are displayed. Selecting Primary Roads shows only the divided, multi-lane, and limited-access highways that form the backbone of the continental road network across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Secondary Roads shows the regional and connecting roads that link smaller centres and rural areas to the primary network. Ferry Routes highlights major marine crossings, including coastal services in British Columbia, Alaska, the US Pacific Northwest, the US East Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Clicking Features
Click any road segment or ferry route to open a popup showing the country, road name or code, and length in kilometres. Roads are colour-coded: red for primary roads, grey for secondary roads, and dashed blue for ferry routes.
Sharing a View
The map URL updates automatically as you pan, zoom, and change filters. Copy the address from your browser to share a direct link to any specific view or filter.
Primary Roads in North America
Primary roads are the highest-order road classification in this dataset. They include divided highways, expressways, and limited-access routes that carry the bulk of long-distance traffic across the continent.
Primary Roads in the United States
In the United States of America, primary roads largely correspond to the Interstate Highway System and the major US Highway network. The Interstate system spans approximately 78,000 kilometres and connects every major American city. Key corridors include I-90 (running from Seattle to Boston, the longest Interstate), I-10 (connecting Los Angeles to Jacksonville across the southern states), and I-95 along the East Coast. The US road data in this dataset is sourced from the US Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation.
Primary Roads in Canada
Canada’s primary road network includes the Trans-Canada Highway — one of the world’s longest national highways at over 7,800 kilometres — along with provincial expressways and controlled-access routes in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. The Trans-Canada links Victoria, BC to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Other significant primary roads in Canada include Highway 401 through Ontario (one of the busiest highways in North America by traffic volume) and the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia. Canadian data in this dataset is sourced from Statistics Canada.
Primary Roads in Mexico
Mexico’s primary roads are the federal toll highways (carreteras federales de cuota) and major free federal highways managed by the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT). The network radiates from Mexico City and includes key routes such as the Mexico City–Guadalajara expressway, the Mexico–Puebla autopista, and the Pacific coast highway running north toward the US border at Tijuana and Mexicali. Mexican road data is sourced from INEGI and the Instituto Mexicano del Transporte (IMT).
Secondary Roads in North America
Secondary roads in this dataset include regional highways, state and provincial routes, and connecting roads that supplement the primary network. They serve smaller communities, rural areas, and cross-border connections not covered by the primary system.
Secondary Roads in Canada
Canadian secondary roads include provincial highways and territorial routes across all ten provinces and three territories. In remote areas of northern Canada — including Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut — secondary roads represent the only land-based connections to many communities. The Alaska Highway (Highway 97 through British Columbia and Yukon) is classified as a secondary route in the CEC dataset.
Secondary Roads in the United States
US secondary roads include state highways, US routes not classified as primary, and major county connector roads. They provide critical links between rural communities and the Interstate system and are especially dense in the agricultural Midwest, Appalachia, and the rural South. In Alaska, secondary roads connect Anchorage, Fairbanks, and the few other road-accessible communities across one of the world’s most road-sparse regions.
Secondary Roads in Mexico
Secondary roads in Mexico include state highways (carreteras estatales) and federal free roads (carreteras federales libres de cargo). These routes extend into agricultural regions, smaller cities, and communities along the US-Mexico border. Mexico has one of the largest secondary road networks in Latin America, with significant routes connecting the interior states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Veracruz to the broader national network.
Ferry Routes in North America
The map shows major ferry routes operating across the continent, displayed as dashed blue lines. In Canada, BC Ferries operates one of the world’s largest ferry systems, connecting Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast to the British Columbia mainland. On the US East Coast, ferry services connect Long Island, Cape Cod, and the Chesapeake Bay region. Gulf of Mexico ferry services link the Yucatan Peninsula and other Mexican coastal regions. The Alaska Marine Highway System connects communities in Southeast Alaska that have no road access to the continental highway network.
Data Source and Limitations
This map uses the North America Roads 2020 dataset published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) North American Environmental Atlas under a CC BY 4.0 licence. The dataset integrates road networks from three national sources: Statistics Canada (2020), INEGI and IMT for Mexico (2020), and the US Census Bureau and Department of Transportation (2018–2020). Ferry route data varies by country: 2020 for Mexico, 2018 for the United States, and 2017 for Canada.
The dataset covers major primary and secondary roads only. Local streets, residential roads, and minor rural tracks are not included. Road classifications follow the CEC’s continental-scale typology (Primary, Secondary, Ferry) rather than each country’s own national classification system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between primary and secondary roads on this map?
Primary roads are divided, multi-lane, or limited-access highways — equivalent to Interstates in the United States, 400-series expressways in Ontario, or autopistas in Mexico. Secondary roads are regional and connecting routes that link smaller communities to the primary network, including state highways in the US, provincial routes in Canada, and carreteras estatales in Mexico.
Does this map show all roads in Canada, the USA, and Mexico?
No. The map shows only primary roads, secondary roads, and major ferry routes as defined by the CEC dataset. Local streets, residential roads, and minor tracks are not included. For full street-level coverage, use OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
How current is the road data?
The dataset reflects the road network as of 2020 for Mexico, 2018–2020 for the United States, and 2020 for Canada (with ferry data from 2017 for Canada and 2018 for the US). Roads built or reclassified after those dates are not included.
Why are some roads I know as major highways shown as secondary roads?
The CEC uses its own continental-scale classification rather than each country’s national road hierarchy. A road classified as primary at the national level may appear as secondary in this dataset if it does not meet the CEC’s continental criteria, and vice versa.
Can I download the road data?
The source dataset is available from the CEC North American Environmental Atlas under a CC BY 4.0 licence, allowing free use with attribution.
Which ferry routes are shown for Canada?
Canadian ferry routes in this dataset reflect the 2017 network and include major BC Ferries routes connecting the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, as well as Atlantic ferry services such as the Digby–Saint John crossing between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
