M5 motorway

M5
M5 highlighted in blue

Shown with UK motorway network
Looking south towards junction 20, 2009
Route information
Maintained by National Highways
Length162.9 mi (262.2 km)
Existed1962–present
History
  • Opened: 1962
  • Completed: 1977
Major junctions
Northeast endWest Bromwich
Major intersections
Southwest endExminster
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
CountiesWest Midlands, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Somerset, Devon
Primary
destinations
Road network
M4 M6

The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley. It continues past Bromsgrove (and from Birmingham and Bromsgrove is part of the Birmingham Motorway Box), Droitwich Spa, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Bristol, Portishead, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton, Tiverton, Cullompton, before terminating at junction 31 to the south of Exeter. At a total length of 163 miles (262 km), the M5 is the 4th longest motorway in the UK.