What Is the Black Stuff on the Road Called?

It’s usually asphalt—also called asphalt concrete or “blacktop”—and the black binder that holds it together is bitumen. In everyday conversation people may also say “tarmac,” though modern roads rarely use tar. Here’s what that all means, why it looks black, and how to tell similar materials apart.

What You’re Seeing—and Why It’s Black

Most modern road surfaces are asphalt: a mix of crushed stone, sand, and gravel bound together by bitumen, a heavy, black petroleum product. Fresh asphalt looks deep black because bitumen contains dark, complex hydrocarbons that absorb light; over time it fades toward dark gray as the surface oxidizes and picks up dust. The material is engineered to be smooth, durable, and flexible, which helps it resist cracking under traffic and temperature changes.

Common Names, Explained

Because road-building terminology varies by region and over time, people use several names for the same or related materials. The list below clarifies the most common terms and how they’re used in practice.

• Asphalt (U.S. usage): Usually the finished paving mix—aggregates plus bitumen—placed on roads. Also known as asphalt concrete.
• Bitumen: The black, sticky binder that glues aggregates together in asphalt. In many countries outside the U.S., “bitumen” refers specifically to this binder.
• Blacktop: Informal North American term for asphalt pavement, especially the top surface layer.
• Tarmac/Tarmacadam: Historically, crushed stone bound with tar (coal-tar pitch). Modern roads rarely use tar; the word survives colloquially, and “Tarmac” is also a U.K. company name.
• Macadam: An early road type using compacted, graded stone; later versions used tar or bitumen as a binder.
• Tar: A byproduct of coal processing once used as a road binder. It’s largely discontinued on roads because coal tar contains high levels of PAHs (carcinogens).
• Asphalt concrete (technical term): The engineered mix used for most paved roads, produced in various gradations (dense-graded, stone mastic, open-graded, porous).

In short, most “black stuff” on modern roads is asphalt; the blackness comes from bitumen, not from coal tar, even if people sometimes call it “tar.”

What Roads Are Made Of Today

Contemporary asphalt pavements are designed for climate, traffic load, and noise. Mixes include dense-graded asphalt for general use, stone mastic asphalt (SMA) for rut resistance, open-graded friction courses for drainage and skid resistance, and porous asphalt for stormwater management. Binders are often modified with polymers and mixed warm to reduce emissions. The vast majority of paved roads in the U.S. use asphalt, and the material is heavily recycled—reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is routinely incorporated into new mixes, making asphalt one of the most recycled materials by weight.

When It’s Not Asphalt: The “Black Stuff” Used in Maintenance

Sometimes the dark material you see isn’t a full asphalt layer but a protective or maintenance treatment. The following are common examples drivers encounter on streets and parking lots.

• Sealcoat: A thin, black surface treatment (often an asphalt emulsion with fine aggregate) used mostly on parking lots and low-speed areas to refresh appearance and protect against oxidation.
• Crack sealant: Rubberized, black material poured into cracks to prevent water intrusion and extend pavement life.
• Chip seal (tar-and-chip): A sprayed bituminous layer immediately covered with stone chips; common on rural roads for cost-effective surface renewal.
• Slurry seal and micro-surfacing: Mixtures of emulsified asphalt, fine aggregate, and additives spread as a thin, dark layer to restore texture and waterproofing.
• Tack coat: A very thin bitumen emulsion applied between asphalt layers to help them bond; it can look like a black film before the next layer is placed.

These treatments are typically black on application and may appear patchy or textured; they complement, rather than replace, the thicker asphalt layers beneath.

Why Not Concrete?

Some roads are built with Portland cement concrete, which is light gray, jointed, and rigid. Agencies choose between asphalt and concrete based on lifecycle cost, climate, traffic volumes, construction speed, noise, and maintenance strategy. Asphalt’s speed of construction, smooth ride, and recyclability make it common for highways and city streets; concrete is often used where very heavy or static loads and high heat resistance are priorities.

Safety and Environmental Notes

Modern asphalt binders are petroleum-based and do not contain coal tar, which is why agencies and many communities have moved away from coal tar–based sealants due to PAH concerns; numerous U.S. cities and several states restrict or ban coal tar sealers. Warm-mix asphalt technologies lower production temperatures and emissions, and high rates of RAP and reclaimed shingles further reduce material footprints. Porous asphalt can also improve stormwater infiltration and water quality.

How to Tell What You’re Looking At

If you’re trying to identify the surface under your tires, these quick cues help distinguish common pavement types and treatments.

• Asphalt/blacktop: Dark, relatively smooth, no regular joints; may feel slightly softer in hot weather.
• Chip seal: Coarser texture with visible stone chips; may shed loose aggregate shortly after application.
• Concrete: Light gray with regular transverse joints or saw cuts; often shows a brushed or tined texture.

Texture, color, and the presence of joints are the fastest giveaways when identifying a pavement type at a glance.

Summary

The “black stuff” on most roads is asphalt—an aggregate mix bound by bitumen—colloquially called blacktop, and sometimes (imprecisely) “tarmac.” Today’s road surfaces use engineered asphalt mixes and maintenance treatments that can also appear black, such as sealcoats and crack sealants. Concrete roads, by contrast, are light gray and jointed. If it’s black and flexible, it’s almost certainly asphalt; if it’s black and thin or patchy, it may be a maintenance layer.

What is the black road material called?

Asphalt is a composite material used for paving roads and many other surfaces. Asphalt is an umbrella term that covers several mixes used within the construction industry, and aggregate types can include gravel, crushed rock, sand or gravel.

What is the black stuff they put on roads?

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 the black thing on the road?

The black stuff on roads is primarily asphalt, a dark, petroleum-based binder mixed with aggregate (like stone and sand) to form asphalt concrete. You might also see darker black lines or patches made of tar used to seal cracks, which prevents water from damaging the road. In some cases, workers may spray a black substance called tack coat before paving to help new asphalt bond to the old surface.
 
This video demonstrates how to remove road tar from a car: 41sEpic Automotive DetailingYouTube · Nov 25, 2024
Asphalt

• What it is: Asphalt (or bitumen) is a naturally occurring, petroleum-derived substance that is sticky, black, and highly viscous. 
• How it’s used: It’s used as a binder to hold together aggregate materials (sand, gravel, stone) to create asphalt concrete, which is the common pavement material for roads, parking lots, and airports. 

Tar (for crack sealing) 

• What it is: A liquid asphalt emulsion mixed with water. 
• How it’s used: It’s sprayed on the road to seep into and seal cracks, preventing water from getting in and causing the road base to deteriorate. 

Tack Coat 

• What it is: A black, glue-like material sprayed onto existing asphalt.
• How it’s used: This “glue” helps the new asphalt pavement layer bond effectively to the old asphalt surface during repairs or resurfacing.

What is the black stuff on the street called?

This black or red substance is called asphalt and used for all pavements or highways.