Croatia

Area code 385Common abbreviation HRLast updated 11-2-2007
Road classSyntaxAdministrative subordinationSub classesZonesSystemRemarks
European roadE[0-9]<2-3>EuropeSee Europe-
Motorway (Avtocesta)A[0-9]<1-2>nationalSequential, integrated systemHighest 11, only planned
Fast traffic road (Brza cesta)B[0-9]nationalHighest 9
State road (Drzavna cesta)(D)[1-5][012][0-9]national1-dgridodd north-south, even east-west
2-dclustering, some grids
3-d1 islandsclustering
2 at borders
3 near the Slovenian border
4 west of route 8
5 rest
Regional road (Zupanijska cesta)(Z)[1-6][012][0-9]<2>national1 Zagrebclustering
2 Varazdin
3 Sisak
4 East
5 West
6 South
Local road (Lokalna cesta)(L[0-9]<5>)national
General description:
Motorways: In 2003 a new motorway numbering system was introduced, with numbers 1-11. So far most motorways are only planned or under construction. Single carriageway sections have a B number with the same digits. For example, route 6 consists of A6 and B6 sections.
D Roads: Each of the sub classes defined by number of digits have a different system.
1-digit numbers are the main routes crossing the country. Odd numbers increase to the east but numbers 1 and 3 meet in Zagreb, continue together to the south and split at Karlovac, from where 1 goes to Split and 3 to Pula (i.e. 1 is more to the east than 3). Even numbers increase to the south and do not meet anywhere. 8 is the main coast road between Rijeka and Dubrovnik, but it connects to the Slovenian G7 (the Istrian coast road has number 21).
2-digit numbers do not have a clear zone system but there are some local grids. For example, odd numbers 41-57 are north-south routes increasing to the east (but 51 branches off 53 to the west). Only numbers 20-62 exist.
3-digit numbers have a curious zone system based on the first digit.
Numbers beginning with 1 are on the Adriatic islands.
Numbers 200-224 are roads leading to border crossings. Some of these are quite important (for example, 200 is an E road!). Numbering starts with 200 in the northwest at the Adriatic coast and increases along the border in clockwise order. 224 is an anomaly southeast of Zagreb.
Most of the numbers beginning with 3 are on the Istrian peninsula, but some are further east. There are very few.
There are also very few numbers beginning with 4. They are all west of route 8, so their zone is very small.
Numbers beginning with 5 are spread over the rest of the country. Thus zone 5 comprises about 80-90% of the country!
Z Roads have their own zone system. They are usually very short: most of them are less than 10 km long.
Road signs:
Road typeBackgroundTextRoad numbers
ClassShapeBackgroundText
MotorwaysGreenWhiteAGreenWhite
Fast roadsBlueWhiteBas motorwaysBlueWhite
Other roadsYellowBlackDRectangleBlueWhite
ZRectangleYellowBlack
History: In the 1990's, the old Yugoslav system was replaced by the current road numbering system. The old system still occurs on many major road maps. In 2003, the new motorway numbers were introduced.
Sources and links: Various maps and atlases

    Official sites:
  1. Ministarstvo Pomorstva, Prometa i Veza Motorways
  2. Route list for all roads
    Other links:
  3. Hrvatske Autoceste
  4. A1 pictures
    Other pages within this site:
  5. Road sign colours
  6. Europe

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