Highway tagging samples/out of town

It has been proposed that this page be deleted or replaced by a redirect. See the discussion page for further information.
The given reason is: see the thread on the forum for details and discussion --Nakaner (talk) 16:21, 7 November 2024 (UTC).

This page shows some real streets and their correct tagging. As most road classes are distinguished by their relative importance, and because the density of people in an area (and consecutively traffic density on the roads) as well as the availability of resources for building and maintaining roads as well as cultural practices, determine the physical aspect of a road, this is just a rough guide and help for getting started, while actual roads of the same class in your area may look very different.

But please do your tagging according to Editing Standards and Conventions and refer to the highway tag usage for exact road classification. For the latter there might also be a separate page for your country.

Picture	Description/Remarks	Tags	Mapnik/OSM-Carto
	Motorway with 4 lanes and separation	highway=motorway lanes=4 surface=asphalt
	Motorway link with 2 lanes (the smaller road on the right)	highway=motorway_link name=<link_name> ref=<link ref> surface=asphalt lanes=2
	Trunk with 2 lanes and separation	highway=trunk surface=asphalt lanes=2 oneway=yes
	Secondary road	highway=secondary surface=asphalt lanes=2
	Smaller road, maybe tertiary with appropriate administrative status	highway=tertiary surface=asphalt lanes=2
	Smaller road without administrative status	highway=unclassified surface=asphalt
	Track, built and used by/for farmers, compact sand	highway=track name=<track_name> (if applicable) tracktype=grade2 (or grade3) surface=sand
	Footway in a forest, with allowance for bicycles	highway=path bicycle=yes/no foot=yes/no name=<path_name> surface=dirt
	A gravel path enters the forest. Local knowledge indicates that it is a hiking and biking trail.	highway=path tracktype=grade2 surface=gravel bicycle=designated foot=designated smoothness=intermediate
	3m wide gravel path. Local knowledge [1] indicates that this is a shared-use path (“It is open to bicyclists, hikers, joggers and horseback riders in the spring, summer and fall and to snowmobilers, skiers and dog sledders during the winter...No ATV’s are allowed on the trail.”)	highway=path tracktype=grade2 width=3 surface=compacted smoothness=good
	2.5m wide asphalt concrete path. It is signed “No motor vehicles,” and local knowledge [2] indicates that it is a shared use path (“...is a hiking and biking trail...”).	highway=path tracktype=grade1 width=2.5 surface=concrete:plates smoothness=good
	Panoramaweg near Malter dam between Dippoldiswalde and Malter. For trained cyclists this path is like a street.	name=Panoramaweg highway=path width=0.5 surface=ground smoothness=bad mtb:scale=0 trail_visibility=good	50.915228 13.659126
	A path built and designated for snowmobile use. Legality for foot and bicycles unknown.	highway=path snowmobile=designated	67.789 24.856
	A path with no signs at all but too narrow for motorcars so it's not a highway=track but starts from the end of a track. Allowed and not totally unsuitable for cycling, but not known to be walkable.	highway=path surface=unpaved	60.1608 24.7205
	A path through an urban forest as in "there is something used for transport"; walking is possible on dry and non-winter days with a sure foot, but you wouldn't route anyone there.	highway=path width=0.5 smoothness=very_bad
	A path on which only cycling is allowed.	highway=path bicycle=designated (foot=no depending on jurisdiction) surface=asphalt or highway=cycleway surface=asphalt
	A path on which motorized vehicles and horses are forbidden. (In fact, the white background notice explains that law forbids horses on special leisure walking/excercise routes - that aren't signposted - which makes this "mainly for cyclists and pedestrians" and not an agricultural track.)	highway=path tracktype=grade2 unpaved track horse=no	60.2361 25.1687
	Bridleway	highway=path horse=designated (foot=no depending on local law - 'yes' implied) (foot=no depending on local law - 'yes' implied) or highway=bridleway (bicycle=no depending on local law - 'yes' implied) (bicycle=no depending on local law - 'yes' implied)