The 45 Types of Road in Paris

There are 45 different types of road in Paris. Les types de voies à Paris is an interactive map which allows you to view the distribution and location of all 45 different types of road in the French capital.

By far the most popular type of road in Paris is the simple 'rue' or road. 3,422 or 57% of all roads in Paris are 'rues'. The second most popular type of road is 'place' (549). The third most popular type of road is 'voie' (433). If you select a road type from the map menu you can view every instance of this type of road on the interactive map. On the map all the public roads of this type are colored pink and the private roads are colored red.

When you select a road type from the map menu you also have the option to read a definition of the chosen type of road and an analysis of how that road type is distributed in the French capital (in French). For example if you select 'place' from the map menu you will learn that 'places' are one of the earliest examples of town planning. They were particular popular in the time of Henry IV, in the sixteenth century, when they were constructed to highlight a statue or monument and provide a public space for meeting and strolling.

Many 'places' in Paris are connected to 'avenues'. For example the Place Charles de Gaulle, where you will find the Arc de Triomphe, is the starting point of 12 different avenues. Many of Paris's avenues are in the west of the city where prestigious districts developed in the second half of the 18th century.