Highway vs Freeway in Australia: What’s the Difference?

A freeway in Australia is a fully controlled-access, grade-separated road built for high-speed through traffic with no property access or intersections, whereas a highway is a major route that may include at-grade intersections, driveways, traffic lights, and town main streets. In practice, a highway can range from a two-lane rural road to a multi-lane dual carriageway, and parts of some highways are upgraded to freeway (or “motorway”) standard.

How the terms are used across Australia

The distinction largely relates to access control and design standard rather than prestige or funding. “Freeway” (or in some states, “motorway” or “expressway”) signals a high-performance road with uninterrupted flow. “Highway” is a broader term for important intercity or regional routes that may pass through urban areas and small towns and can vary widely in design.

Functional and design differences

Access, intersections and property entry

Freeways provide full access control: vehicles enter and exit only via ramps, and cross-traffic is separated by bridges or tunnels. Highways commonly feature at-grade intersections, direct driveway access in rural stretches, and signalised junctions in towns.

Speed, safety and traffic flow

Freeways typically carry higher posted speed limits (often 100–110 km/h, depending on jurisdiction), consistent lane widths, medians, and safety barriers, with no pedestrian crossings. Highways can vary from 50 km/h through towns to 100–110 km/h between settlements (and up to 130 km/h on parts of the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory), reflecting their mixed access and local frontage roles.

Who can use them, and tolling

On freeways, pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving vehicles are generally prohibited from the main carriageway unless explicitly signed otherwise; parallel shared paths are common in cities. Some motorway/freeway-standard roads are tolled in metropolitan areas (notably in New South Wales and Queensland), while many intercity freeways are untolled. The term “freeway” does not by itself guarantee a road is toll-free.

Naming conventions and route numbering

Australia’s alphanumeric route system helps indicate standard: “M” denotes motorway/freeway-standard routes, “A” primary highways, and “B” secondary routes. However, naming varies by state, and branding often follows history and upgrades over time.

The following points outline how names and numbers usually line up and where they don’t.

• “Freeway” vs “Motorway”: Victoria and Western Australia commonly use “Freeway”; New South Wales and Queensland typically use “Motorway” for controlled-access roads. South Australia often uses “Expressway.”
• Route letters: “M” routes are generally built to freeway/motorway standard; “A” routes are high-quality highways but may include intersections; “B” routes are important regionals. Not every “M” is officially called a freeway, and not every highway is limited to “A” or “B.”
• Legacy names: Long-distance corridors often retain “Highway” in their names even where sections are upgraded to freeway/motorway standard, leading to mixed naming along the same corridor.

In short, letters hint at the standard (M/A/B), while the public-facing name (Highway/Freeway/Motorway/Expressway) reflects local convention and upgrade history.

Key practical differences at a glance

The list below summarises the features motorists most commonly notice when comparing highways and freeways.

• Access: Freeway—no property access; Highway—driveways and local road access are common.
• Intersections: Freeway—grade-separated only; Highway—mix of at-grade intersections, roundabouts, signals and occasional grade separations.
• Speed and flow: Freeway—steady high-speed travel; Highway—variable speeds with potential slowdowns through towns.
• Safety design: Freeway—medians, barriers, consistent shoulders; Highway—standards vary by section.
• Users: Freeway—limited to motor traffic; Highway—may accommodate a broader mix, including agricultural vehicles or cyclists in some rural areas.
• Tolling: Possible on urban freeways/motorways; uncommon on rural freeways and many highways.

Taken together, these contrasts show that “freeway” describes a controlled-access engineering standard, while “highway” describes a route’s role in the network, regardless of its specific design at any point.

Examples from around the country

These real-world corridors illustrate how highways and freeways interrelate, sometimes within the same route.

• Hume corridor: Hume Highway (NSW) transitions to Hume Motorway (M31) on upgraded sections, then Hume Freeway (M31) in Victoria.
• Pacific corridor: The legacy Pacific Highway (A1) coexists with the newer M1 Pacific Motorway across NSW and into Queensland.
• Princes corridor: Princes Highway includes freeway-standard segments branded as Princes Freeway (M1) in Victoria, with non-freeway sections retaining highway characteristics.
• Bruce Highway (QLD): A long A1 highway that includes motorway-standard upgrades near Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast while remaining an at-grade highway in many regional stretches.
• Perth freeways: Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways are purpose-built controlled-access routes, not called “highways,” serving north–south metropolitan travel.
• Adelaide expressways: Northern Expressway and Southern Expressway are controlled-access corridors, while many intercity links remain as highways with mixed access.

These cases underscore that a single named highway can include stretches of freeway/motorway standard as upgrades progress, resulting in mixed naming and numbering along the route.

What it means for drivers and planners

For motorists, the label signals expectations: freeways offer uninterrupted, safer high-speed travel but limited access to adjacent land; highways provide broader access and connectivity at the cost of occasional congestion and lower speeds. For planners, converting a highway to freeway standard involves removing direct access, building interchanges, and ensuring alternative local road connectivity—typically delivered in stages over many years.

Common misconceptions

Two misunderstandings recur. First, that “freeway” simply means “big highway”—in fact it denotes full access control. Second, that the “M” route letter is just a number change—rather, it signifies motorway/freeway standard even if the public-facing name remains “Highway.”

Summary

In Australia, a freeway (or motorway/expressway, depending on the state) is a controlled-access, grade-separated road designed for uninterrupted high-speed travel, while a highway is a major intercity or regional route that may include intersections, driveways and urban main-street sections. Many corridors combine both, with upgraded freeway-standard segments nested within longer highway routes and reflected in “M/A/B” route numbering.

What do they call freeways in Australia?

motorways
“M” routes are primary traffic routes, called motorways in some states. These are typically dual carriageway, freeway-standard highways, but may also be used for rural roads that are nearly at freeway-standard, or at least are dual carriageways.

What is the difference between a freeway and a highway?

A highway is a general term for any major public road, while a freeway is a specific type of highway designed for high-speed, continuous travel with limited access, no intersections, or stoplights. Think of “highway” as a broad category and “freeway” as a more specialized, access-controlled version within that category.
 
Highway

• Definition: A broad term for any main public road, including those that connect cities or towns. 
• Access: Can have various types of access, including intersections, stoplights, and cross-traffic. 
• Purpose: To move people and goods between different locations, but not necessarily as efficiently as a freeway. 

Freeway

• Definition: A limited-access highway with a specific design: ramps for entering and exiting, no intersections, and no stoplights. 
• Access: Fully controlled access points, allowing for uninterrupted, high-speed travel. 
• Purpose: To prioritize high-speed mobility and efficient travel over longer distances. 

Key Differences Summarized

• Scope: “Highway” is a general, overarching term, while “freeway” is a specific type of highway. 
• Design: Freeways lack intersections and stoplights, featuring ramps for controlled access, a feature not found on all highways. 
• Mobility vs. Access: Highways balance access with mobility, whereas freeways prioritize high-speed mobility by sacrificing some access. 

Regional Differences
It’s also worth noting that terminology can be regional. While “freeway” is common on the West Coast to describe a limited-access highway, “highway” is more frequently used as the general term across other parts of the U.S., according to a Harvard Dialect Survey.

Why do Californians say freeway instead of highway?

Especially given the rapid expansion of the state highway system during the 1950s. And60s by 1964. Two developments convinced Southern Californians to refer to freeways. By number rather than name in

What is the difference between freeway and highway in Australia?

It’s best to consider the main point of difference between a freeway and highway as being speed and flow of traffic. One is designed to get you from point A to B but the other is to do it with minimal interruptions and as quickly as possible.