M1 Traffic Trends
Is a Friday afternoon out of London really slower than a Monday morning into it? Where on the M1 does the evening queue usually begin? These pages answer questions like that from our own record of National Highways' live speed data: we read the speed on every stretch of the M1 in England every five minutes and keep the average for each hour, northbound and southbound.
Pick a day of the week below to see how the motorway moved on the most recent one, hour by hour, against the same day a week earlier and the speed National Highways normally expects. For what is happening on the road right now, use the live M1 traffic flow map and the latest M1 traffic news.
Pick a day to see how traffic on the M1 moved hour by hour, compared with the same day a week earlier. Each page updates regularly.
Speeds are colour-coded the same way as our live M1 speed flow map: 50 mph and over, 30 mph to 49 mph, under 30 mph. The colour shows the speed actually achieved; the usual speed is shown in bold beside it.
© 2026 Corporate Ace Limited. The analysis, wording, charts and conclusions on this page are our own, produced from the live information we collect, including National Highways’ data. You may not copy, republish or reproduce them on any website, app, broadcast or publication without our prior written permission, which must set out how and where they will be used. To ask, please contact us. Powered by National Highways’ Transport Data Feeds.
M1 Traffic by Day of the Week
- M1 on Mondays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Tuesdays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Wednesdays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Thursdays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Fridays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Saturdays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound - M1 on Sundays
Hour by hour, northbound and southbound
For the road right now, see the live M1 speed flow map and the latest M1 traffic news, or look up any junction on the M1 junctions page.