The best time to drive the M40 anti-clockwise

GOSunday 06:00Quietest daytime hour, 61 mph average

AVOIDTuesday 09:00Busiest daytime hour, 54 mph average

Photo: Steve Daniels, Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0, resized

Heading anti-clockwise on the M40, the quietest daytime hour is Sunday 06:00, averaging 61 mph, and the busiest is Tuesday 09:00, averaging 54 mph. Measured from National Highways roadside sensors facing anti-clockwise between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026, not estimated.

Measured, not estimated
Anti-clockwise only

Every hour of the week, anti-clockwise only

Darker means slower

Average speed on the M40 anti-clockwise for each hour of the week, shaded by how far below normal it runs.
Day	00	1	2	3	4	5	06	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23
Mon	Mon 00:00, 57 mph, 3% below normal	Mon 01:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 02:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 03:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 04:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 05:00, 61 mph, -2% below normal	Mon 06:00, 60 mph, 0% below normal	Mon 07:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Mon 08:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Mon 09:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 10:00, 54 mph, 9% below normal	Mon 11:00, 55 mph, 8% below normal	Mon 12:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Mon 13:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Mon 14:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Mon 15:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Mon 16:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Mon 17:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 18:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Mon 19:00, 60 mph, 0% below normal	Mon 20:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Mon 21:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Mon 22:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Mon 23:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal
Tue	Tue 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 01:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 02:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 03:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Tue 04:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Tue 05:00, 60 mph, -2% below normal	Tue 06:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Tue 07:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Tue 08:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 09:00, 54 mph, 10% below normal	Tue 10:00, 54 mph, 10% below normal	Tue 11:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Tue 12:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 13:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Tue 14:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Tue 15:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Tue 16:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Tue 17:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Tue 18:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Tue 19:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Tue 20:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Tue 21:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Tue 22:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Tue 23:00, 57 mph, 3% below normal
Wed	Wed 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Wed 01:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 02:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Wed 03:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Wed 04:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Wed 05:00, 61 mph, -3% below normal	Wed 06:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Wed 07:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 08:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 09:00, 54 mph, 9% below normal	Wed 10:00, 54 mph, 9% below normal	Wed 11:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 12:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Wed 13:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 14:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 15:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 16:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Wed 17:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Wed 18:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Wed 19:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Wed 20:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Wed 21:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Wed 22:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Wed 23:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal
Thu	Thu 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Thu 01:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 02:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Thu 03:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Thu 04:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Thu 05:00, 61 mph, -2% below normal	Thu 06:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Thu 07:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 08:00, 55 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 09:00, 54 mph, 9% below normal	Thu 10:00, 54 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 11:00, 54 mph, 8% below normal	Thu 12:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Thu 13:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 14:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 15:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 16:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Thu 17:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 18:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Thu 19:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Thu 20:00, 60 mph, 0% below normal	Thu 21:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Thu 22:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Thu 23:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal
Fri	Fri 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Fri 01:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 02:00, 55 mph, 8% below normal	Fri 03:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 04:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Fri 05:00, 61 mph, -3% below normal	Fri 06:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Fri 07:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 08:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 09:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 10:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 11:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 12:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Fri 13:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 14:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 15:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Fri 16:00, 57 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 17:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Fri 18:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Fri 19:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Fri 20:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Fri 21:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Fri 22:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Fri 23:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal
Sat	Sat 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 01:00, 53 mph, 10% below normal	Sat 02:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 03:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Sat 04:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 05:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 06:00, 61 mph, -3% below normal	Sat 07:00, 60 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 08:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Sat 09:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 10:00, 55 mph, 8% below normal	Sat 11:00, 55 mph, 8% below normal	Sat 12:00, 55 mph, 7% below normal	Sat 13:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 14:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 15:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 16:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 17:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sat 18:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sat 19:00, 59 mph, 0% below normal	Sat 20:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Sat 21:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Sat 22:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Sat 23:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal
Sun	Sun 00:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 01:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 02:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 03:00, 56 mph, 6% below normal	Sun 04:00, 57 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 05:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Sun 06:00, 61 mph, -3% below normal	Sun 07:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Sun 08:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Sun 09:00, 60 mph, -1% below normal	Sun 10:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 11:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 12:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sun 13:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 14:00, 57 mph, 4% below normal	Sun 15:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 16:00, 57 mph, 3% below normal	Sun 17:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sun 18:00, 56 mph, 5% below normal	Sun 19:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 20:00, 59 mph, 1% below normal	Sun 21:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 22:00, 58 mph, 2% below normal	Sun 23:00, 58 mph, 3% below normal

FasterSlower

That is about the same as the M40 runs in either direction. Only sensors facing anti-clockwise are counted here, not the whole road. Averaged across 1 sensor.

The M40, other directions

Same road, the other way

The whole week on the M40 What is closed on the M40 now