Sunday
The best time to drive the M61 on a Sunday
On a Sunday the M61 is quietest at 07:00, averaging 67 mph, and busiest at 12:00, averaging 61 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 Sunday
Darker means slower- 00:0063mph5% below normal
- 01:0064mph3% below normal
- 02:0063mph4% below normal
- 03:0064mphnormal speed
- 04:0065mphnormal speed
- 05:0066mphnormal speed
- 06:0067mphnormal speed
- 07:0067mphnormal speed
- 08:0066mphnormal speed
- 09:0065mphnormal speed
- 10:0063mph4% below normal
- 11:0061mph7% below normal
- 12:0061mph8% below normal
- 13:0061mph7% below normal
- 14:0064mph4% below normal
- 15:0064mphnormal speed
- 16:0064mphnormal speed
- 17:0064mph3% below normal
- 18:0065mphnormal speed
- 19:0066mphnormal speed
- 20:0065mphnormal speed
- 21:0064mphnormal speed
- 22:0063mph4% below normal
- 23:0064mph3% below normal
Across the day that is roughly 5 percentage points closer to free-flowing than the M61's average day, so Sunday is one of the easier days to travel on this road. 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 5 sensors on the M61.
Minutes you save on a Sunday
Quietest against busiest hour67 mph45 min
61 mph50 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 M61 at each hour, so a trip through its worst junction at rush hour loses more than this.
Questions about the M61 on a Sunday
What is the best time to drive the M61 on a Sunday?
On a Sunday the quietest hour on the M61 is 07:00, when traffic averages 67 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 Sunday usually looks like rather than what today will look like.
What time is the M61 busiest on a Sunday?
The busiest hour on the M61 on a Sunday is 12:00, averaging 61 mph, about 8% 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 M61 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.