The roads of Nepal
The national highways that tie the country together, from the Mahendra Highway spanning the Terai to the mountain roads of Karnali, mapped from real road data and traced to the Department of Roads.
National highways
≈11,799 km
FY 2022/23
Highways profiled
12
the majors
Longest
Mahendra
≈1,028 km, East–West
Network
SRN
national + feeder roads
Hover any road for its code and name; click a national highway to open its page. Road geometry is real, from OpenStreetMap, clipped to Nepal's boundary and coloured by type.
Nepal's national highways
The arteries of the Strategic Road Network: each with its route, length and story.
Nepal's road hierarchy
From the strategic highways the Department of Roads runs down to the rural roads of the local network.
National highway
The NH / H series: the country's main road skeleton.
Feeder road
The F series: strategic roads linking districts to the highways.
Expressway
Access-controlled fast roads: mostly under construction (e.g. Kathmandu–Terai).
Nepal's roads, answered
What is the longest highway in Nepal?+
The Mahendra Highway (East–West Highway, NH01) is Nepal's longest road at about 1,028 km, running the length of the Terai from Kakarbhitta in the east to Bhimdatta (Mahendranagar) in the far west.
How are Nepal's roads classified?+
The Department of Roads manages the Strategic Road Network (SRN), made up of national highways (the NH/H series) and feeder roads (the F series). Beyond the SRN are provincial roads and the much larger Local Road Network of district and rural roads.
What was Nepal's first highway?+
The Tribhuvan Highway (Tribhuvan Rajpath), opened in 1956 with Indian assistance, was Nepal's first highway, the original road connecting Kathmandu to the Indian border via the Mahabharat passes.
Which highways connect Kathmandu to Pokhara and to China?+
The Prithvi Highway (1973, Chinese-built) connects Kathmandu to Pokhara, and the Araniko Highway (1967, Chinese-built) connects Kathmandu to the Tibet/China border at Kodari.
How long is Nepal's national highway network?+
As of FY 2022/23 Nepal's national highways totalled about 11,799 km, part of a Strategic Road Network of national highways plus feeder roads, alongside tens of thousands of kilometres of provincial and local roads.
Sources & data note
Road geometry is from OpenStreetMap, clipped to Nepal's boundary and classified by road type. Highway lengths, routes and dates are approximate, drawn from the Department of Roads and standard references. Commentary is Amarnepal's own.