Thursday
The best time to drive the A1(M) on a Thursday
On a Thursday the A1(M) is quietest at 19:00, averaging 60 mph, and busiest at 16:00, averaging 55 mph. Measured from National Highways roadside sensors between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026, not estimated.
- Measured, not estimated
- 1 May 2026 to 15 June 2026
Every hour of a Thursday
Darker means slower- 00:0055mph9% below normal
- 01:0054mph10% below normal
- 02:0054mph11% below normal
- 03:0054mph10% below normal
- 04:0055mph7% below normal
- 05:0057mph5% below normal
- 06:0057mph5% below normal
- 07:0055mph11% below normal
- 08:0055mph10% below normal
- 09:0055mph9% below normal
- 10:0055mph9% below normal
- 11:0055mph9% below normal
- 12:0055mph9% below normal
- 13:0055mph10% below normal
- 14:0056mph9% below normal
- 15:0055mph10% below normal
- 16:0055mph11% below normal
- 17:0057mph6% below normal
- 18:0059mphnormal speed
- 19:0060mphnormal speed
- 20:0059mphnormal speed
- 21:0058mphnormal speed
- 22:0057mph6% below normal
- 23:0056mph6% below normal
That is about the same as the A1(M) runs on an average day. Hours outside 06:00 to 22:00 are shown but greyed: the small hours are the fastest on almost every road in England, which is true and useless for planning. Averaged across 11 sensors on the A1(M).
Minutes you save on a Thursday
Quietest against busiest hour60 mph50 min
55 mph55 min
5 minsaved on a 50-mile trip
Other trip lengths: 10 miles saves 1 min, 25 miles saves 3 min. Worked out from the average speed along the whole A1(M) at each hour, so a trip through its worst junction at rush hour loses more than this.
Questions about the A1(M) on a Thursday
What is the best time to drive the A1(M) on a Thursday?
On a Thursday the quietest hour on the A1(M) is 19:00, when traffic averages 60 mph. That is a measured average from National Highways roadside sensors on the road itself, recorded between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026, rather than an estimate. Only 06:00 to 22:00 is considered, because the small hours are the fastest on almost every road in England and saying so helps nobody plan a journey. Roadworks, collisions and weather are not in the average, so it describes what this Thursday usually looks like rather than what today will look like.
What time is the A1(M) busiest on a Thursday?
The busiest hour on the A1(M) on a Thursday is 16:00, averaging 55 mph, about 11% below the speed the road runs at when it is clear. The comparison is against this road's own free-flowing speed, so "slower" means slower than the A1(M) normally manages rather than slower than some national figure. Measured from roadside sensors between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026. It is an archive of the usual pattern, not a live reading, so check conditions before you set off.