A highway is a major arterial road within a city, or linking several cities together. In Britain and Ireland, unless the route is classified as a motorway, the term normally used is main road, trunk road, or, where appropriate, dual carriageway. Highways usually have a higher speed limit than other roads because they have more lanes and are designed for travelling at a higher speed. Highways are a grade below freeways in importance.
Historically, a highway was any major road travelling a long distance outside of cities. In the 20th century, the word generally came to be used only for important improved automobile routes. On September 10, 1913 the first paved coast-to-coast highway opened in the US.
The United States of America has a vast network of national highways linking the different states together, as does Australia. Some highways, like the Pan-American Highway or the European routes, bridge multiple nations.
Probably the most famous highway in the United States is Route 66, while if one follows Australia's Highway 1, one can travel from capital city to capital city almost the entire way around the whole country.
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