Saturday
The best time to drive the M3 on a Saturday
On a Saturday the M3 is quietest at 07:00, averaging 63 mph, and busiest at 11:00, averaging 59 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 Saturday
Darker means slower- 00:0059mph5% below normal
- 01:0059mph5% below normal
- 02:0059mph5% below normal
- 03:0059mph5% below normal
- 04:0060mph4% below normal
- 05:0062mphnormal speed
- 06:0063mphnormal speed
- 07:0063mphnormal speed
- 08:0062mphnormal speed
- 09:0061mphnormal speed
- 10:0060mph5% below normal
- 11:0059mph6% below normal
- 12:0060mph5% below normal
- 13:0060mph4% below normal
- 14:0061mphnormal speed
- 15:0062mphnormal speed
- 16:0062mphnormal speed
- 17:0062mphnormal speed
- 18:0062mphnormal speed
- 19:0063mphnormal speed
- 20:0062mphnormal speed
- 21:0061mphnormal speed
- 22:0060mph3% below normal
- 23:0060mph4% below normal
That is about the same as the M3 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 12 sensors on the M3.
Minutes you save on a Saturday
Quietest against busiest hour63 mph48 min
59 mph51 min
3 minsaved on a 50-mile trip
Other trip lengths: 10 miles saves 0 min, 25 miles saves 1 min. Worked out from the average speed along the whole M3 at each hour, so a trip through its worst junction at rush hour loses more than this.
Questions about the M3 on a Saturday
What is the best time to drive the M3 on a Saturday?
On a Saturday the quietest hour on the M3 is 07:00, when traffic averages 63 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 Saturday usually looks like rather than what today will look like.
What time is the M3 busiest on a Saturday?
The busiest hour on the M3 on a Saturday is 11:00, averaging 59 mph, about 6% 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 M3 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.