Is it tar or tarmac?

Neither, in most modern cases: roads and runways today are typically made of asphalt (bitumen-bound aggregate), not tar; and “tarmac” properly refers to an early 20th-century product called tarmacadam (and a trademark, Tarmac). Colloquially, people—especially in the UK—say “tarmac” for black road surfaces and airport aprons, but the technically correct term for most black, flexible pavements is “asphalt.” This article explains the differences, when each term is correct, and why it matters.

What each term means

The following definitions clarify what engineers, contractors, and regulators mean by the words commonly used for road surfaces and binders.

• Tar: A thick, black byproduct typically from coal (coal tar) or wood; historically used as a binder in road surfacing and for sealing, now largely phased out because of health and environmental concerns.
• Bitumen (Asphalt binder): A petroleum-derived binder refined from crude oil; it is the glue in modern asphalt mixes. Outside North America, “bitumen” is the standard term; in North America, “asphalt” often refers to the bitumen-as-aggregate mix.
• Macadam: An early road-building method using compacted layers of crushed stone pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in the early 1800s, originally without any binder.
• Tarmacadam (Tarmac): Macadam bound with tar, patented in the UK by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901; “Tarmac” is also a long-standing UK building materials brand, now part of CRH plc.
• Asphalt (Asphalt concrete): The modern road surface—mineral aggregates bound with bitumen, laid and compacted hot or warm; widely used for roads, car parks, and many airside pavements.
• Blacktop: A common North American colloquial term for asphalt pavement.

In short, “tar” is the old coal-derived binder; “tarmac” is tar-bound macadam from the early 1900s (and a brand); and the current standard surface is asphalt made with petroleum bitumen.

Which term should you use today?

Use the term that fits the material and context. The guidance below aligns with modern engineering practice and common usage across regions.

• Streets, highways, and most car parks: “Asphalt” (or “asphalt concrete”); “bitumen” if you’re referring specifically to the binder, common outside North America.
• Driveways and footpaths: Often asphalt; sometimes concrete or block paving. “Asphalt” is the safe term unless you know it’s concrete.
• Airports (runways, taxiways, aprons): Usually asphalt or Portland cement concrete. “Tarmac” is a popular colloquialism, but most airfields are not literally tarmacadam.
• Rural roads with a thin black surface and visible stone: Often “chip seal” or “surface dressing” using bitumen emulsion; not tar in most jurisdictions today.
• Roofing and waterproofing: Can involve bitumen-based products; coal tar use is now rare and regulated.

If you’re unsure, “asphalt” is the accurate catch-all for modern black flexible pavements; reserve “tarmac” for historical reference or casual speech, and “tar” for legacy materials or specific industrial uses.

Why tar fell out of favor

Tar-based road binders were largely replaced by petroleum bitumen during the 20th century for health, environmental, performance, and supply reasons.

• Health and environmental risks: Coal-tar products are rich in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Jurisdictions in the U.S. and Europe have restricted or banned coal-tar sealants and road uses due to carcinogenicity and water-quality impacts. In the EU/UK, coal tar pitch (high temperature) is subject to REACH restrictions; many agencies specify bitumen-based systems instead. Numerous U.S. cities, counties, and states restrict coal-tar pavement sealers, and major retailers have ceased selling them.
• Performance and consistency: Modern bitumen grades and polymer-modified binders offer more predictable performance, tailored to climates and traffic loads.
• Feedstock and cost: Petroleum refining provides abundant bitumen streams; coal-tar availability and economics declined with changes in coke and gas production.

The shift was driven by both regulation and engineering advantages: bitumen-based asphalt is safer to handle and easier to design for modern traffic demands.

A brief history

The timeline below shows how road surfacing moved from loose stone to modern asphalt and where “tarmac” fits in.

1. Early 1800s: John Loudon McAdam popularizes “macadam,” layered, compacted crushed stone without binder.
2. Late 1800s: Tar begins to be used to bind macadam, reducing dust and ruts on busy roads.
3. 1901: Edgar Purnell Hooley patents “tarmacadam” in the UK—tar mixed with aggregate and slag, laid hot and compacted; “Tarmac” emerges as a brand.
4. 1920s–1950s: Petroleum bitumen increasingly replaces coal tar as the preferred binder for roads.
5. Post–World War II to present: Asphalt concrete becomes the global standard for flexible pavements; cement concrete is used where rigid pavements are preferred (e.g., some runways, heavy-duty roads).
6. Today: Tarmac is a major UK construction materials brand (part of CRH plc), while “tarmac” as a surface is mostly of historical interest.

This evolution explains why “tarmac” endures in everyday speech even though modern pavements are usually asphalt- or concrete-based.

Common misconceptions

These frequent mix-ups fuel the “tar vs. tarmac” confusion and are easy to avoid once you know the distinctions.

• “Airport tarmac” is the technical term: Most airside pavements are asphalt or concrete; “tarmac” persists as media shorthand.
• Tar and asphalt are the same: They are different binders—coal-derived tar vs. petroleum bitumen used in asphalt.
• “Tarmac” is a generic material name: Historically a specific tar-bound macadam and also a trademark; it’s not a catch-all engineering term.
• Shiny black surface means tar: Fresh or sealed asphalt can look glossy; appearance alone doesn’t indicate tar content.

Using the proper term—“asphalt” for modern black pavements—avoids ambiguity and aligns with current standards.

Bottom line

If you’re talking about a modern road or runway, it’s almost certainly asphalt (bitumen-bound aggregate), not tar or true tarmacadam. “Tarmac” is fine in casual UK speech and headlines, but in technical and global contexts, “asphalt” is the accurate choice.

Summary

Today’s black road surfaces are typically asphalt, made by binding aggregate with petroleum bitumen. Tar is an older, coal-derived binder now largely discontinued for health and environmental reasons, and “tarmac” refers historically to tar-bound macadam (and a UK brand), not the modern material. For accuracy: say “asphalt” for most roads and “concrete” where appropriate; reserve “tarmac” for colloquial use or historical reference.

Is tarmac the correct term?

Both “ramp” and “tarmac” are correct terms for the area where aircraft taxi and park. “Ramp” refers to the operational area for aircraft ground activities. “Tarmac” is a type of pavement (tarmacadam) commonly used on airport ramps.

Are tar and tarmac the same?

Tarmac or tar, which is short for tarmacadam, is a durable substance used for road surfacing. Tarmac is made when a layer of crushed stone or aggregate is coated and mixed with tar.

What do Americans call tarmac?

Asphalt concrete (commonly called asphalt, blacktop, or pavement in North America, and tarmac, bitmac or bitumen macadam in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) is a composite material commonly used to surface roads, parking lots, airports, and the core of embankment dams.

What is tarmac short for?

Tarmac is short for Tarmacadam, a road-surfacing material created by mixing tar with crushed stone and sand. The name combines “tar” with “macadam,” a technique for building roads with compacted gravel layers developed by John Loudon McAdam. The term was later trademarked by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901, though modern airport surfaces are often concrete or asphalt.
 
Origin of Tarmacadam

• Macadamizing: Opens in new tabIn the 1820s, John Loudon McAdam developed a method for bonding gravel to the top of a pavement. 
• The “Tar” Addition: Opens in new tabIn 1901, Edgar Purnell Hooley noticed workers at a tar factory putting gravel on a spilled patch of tar to create a non-sticky surface. He realized that adding tar to McAdam’s method would create a more cohesive and durable surface. 
• The Trademark: Opens in new tabHooley trademarked the new process as “Tarmac” in 1901, which combined “tar” and “macadam”. 

Modern Usage

• While true tarmacadam is less common today, the name “tarmac” is still widely used, especially in the UK, to refer to modern asphalt concrete. 
• It’s also used colloquially to refer to paved areas at airports, though these are often made of concrete and should technically be called runways, taxiways, or aprons.