A1 Great North Road Traffic: Live Cameras & Congestion Guide | JamCams
Live cameras, peak hour guide, congestion hotspots and route planning tips — updated 2026-03-02.
The A1 Great North Road is one of Britain's oldest trunk roads, running from Angel Islington through Archway, Finchley and Barnet before crossing the M25 at South Mimms on its way to Edinburgh. Within Greater London, it carries a heavy mix of commuter traffic from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, HGV freight, and dense local traffic serving the residential areas of North London. The road is served by dozens of TfL JamCam cameras — making it one of the best-monitored routes in the capital.
The A1's worst bottleneck within London is the Archway area, where the road meets the A19 Holloway Road and A104 Junction Road in a complex gyratory. This section queues from around 07:15 on weekday mornings and again from 16:30 in the evening. The A1/A504 Finchley Lane junction is another consistent pinch point, where traffic from the North Circular feeds onto the A1. Between Finchley and Barnet the road is wider and generally flows better, though school-run traffic adds pressure on term-time mornings.
Morning peak: 07:30–09:30 · Evening peak: 16:30–19:00
Outside these windows, the A1 typically flows much more freely. Saturdays can be busy between 11:00–15:00.
These TfL JamCam feeds cover the A1 across London. Each image updates every 5 minutes — click any camera to see the full live feed and nearby cameras.
Typical congestion levels on the A1 by hour. Green = free-flowing, red/orange = heavy delays.
| 00–05 | 05–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 | 10–12 | 12–14 | 14–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–21 | 21–24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon–Thu | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Friday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Saturday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
| Sunday | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ | ▓ |
Departing before 07:00 on weekdays avoids virtually all A1 congestion. The road is clear from around 21:00 onward in the evening.
If the Archway cameras show gridlock, route via Holloway Road (A1) or Junction Road to rejoin the A1 north of the bottleneck.
The A1 is a major bus corridor — signal priority for buses can extend red phases for general traffic at junctions.
Check the JamCam feeds above before departing. Archway and Finchley Lane cameras are most useful for judging A1 conditions.
If the A1 is heavily congested, these alternatives are worth considering:
The entire A1 within Greater London is inside the ULEZ, operating 24/7 with no exceptions. There is no Congestion Charge on the A1 — the CCZ boundary lies south of the route. Most petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesel cars after 2015 are ULEZ-compliant. Non-compliant vehicles pay £12.50 per day. Check your vehicle at tfl.gov.uk/ulez.
Archway is a major node where the A1 intersects with three other significant roads in a gyratory layout. The design forces all traffic through a small number of signalised junctions, and the combination of buses, pedestrians and turning movements from multiple arms creates unavoidable queuing. The junction has been improved over the years but the underlying geometry limits capacity.
Yes — significant stretches of the A1 within Greater London are designated Red Routes, meaning no stopping at any time except for taxis picking up or setting down passengers. Double red lines indicate Red Route restrictions. Breaking down on a Red Route can result in a fixed penalty notice.
Most of the A1 within Greater London has a 30 mph limit, with some dual-carriageway sections through Finchley and Barnet having 40 mph limits. Speed is enforced by fixed Gatso cameras and average speed cameras in some areas. Always observe posted signs as limits can change frequently.
No — the A1 does not pass through the Congestion Charge Zone. The CCZ boundary is in central London, south of the A1's route. However, ULEZ applies to all A1 roads within Greater London — non-compliant vehicles are charged £12.50 per day.