Stuart Highway
Australia, oceania
2,834 km
700 m
moderate
April-September (avoids extreme summer heat in the center and wet season flooding in the north)
The Stuart Highway runs 2,834 kilometers from Adelaide on Australia's southern coast to Darwin in the tropical north, bisecting the continent through its vast red center. Named after the explorer John McDouall Stuart, who completed the first south-to-north crossing of Australia in 1862, the highway is one of the great transcontinental road journeys in the world.
The drive traverses some of Australia's most iconic landscapes: the vineyards of the Barossa Valley, the underground opal mining town of Coober Pedy where residents live in dugouts to escape the heat, the otherworldly monolith of Uluru (accessible via a side road), the frontier town of Alice Springs, and the ancient sandstone domes of the Devils Marbles. The northern section passes through vast tropical savanna before arriving in Darwin's humid tropics. Between towns, the highway is ruler-straight for hundreds of kilometers across empty red desert, testing drivers with monotony and fatigue.
Where is it?
Stuart Highway is located in South Australia / Northern Territory, Australia (oceania). Coordinates: -25.0000, 134.0000
Driving Tips
Allow at least 5-6 days for the full drive. Watch for road trains (trucks up to 53 meters long) and never overtake unless you have clear visibility for at least a kilometer. Carry extra water and fuel in remote sections. Watch for kangaroos at dawn and dusk. Rest stops are well-spaced but fuel can be expensive in remote areas. The Northern Territory has no speed limit on some sections.
Road Surface
Paved, well-maintained sealed highway, long straight sections
Road Details
- Country
- Australia
- Continent
- oceania
- Region
- South Australia / Northern Territory
- Length
- 2,834 km
- Max Elevation
- 700 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Surface
- Paved, well-maintained sealed highway, long straight sections
- Best Season
- April-September (avoids extreme summer heat in the center and wet season flooding in the north)
- Coordinates
- -25.0000, 134.0000
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