What’s the difference between a street, road, avenue, close and boulevard – road naming conventions

There are a large number of names used for different types of route. There are loose guidelines for which word should be chosen when new roads are created:

Alley – a narrow roadway, often just for pedestrians or cycles, in a heavily urbanised area

Approach – a road that leads to an area of interest

Arcade – a walkway between shops that is typically covered. It could be a thoroughfare (i.e. open at both ends)

Avenue – usually a straight road lined with trees

Boardwalk – a pedestrian-only road

Boulevard – usually a wide road, often lined with trees and with other plantings and shrubs

Break – originally a firebreak, it’s now a road

Bypass – an alternative route that avoids congested areas

Chase – a roadway leading down to a valley

Circle – generally a road which forms a circle

Circuit – similar to a loop (see loop below) – it encloses an area

Close – a cul-de-sac, or dead-end road that is short

Concourse – similar to a square or a circle; it surrounds an area of interest such as public space or a commercial area

Court – similar to a close, but often among taller buildings

Crescent – a road which describes a crescent shape, sometimes with an opening both ends

Crest – a roadway along the top of a ridge or hill

Drive – a main road that links two other main roads, usually without many joining roads

Entrance – a roadway connecting other roads

Esplanade – a wide, level road, usually on the waterfront

Firetrail – see break

Freeway – a multi-lane highway

Glade – usually a narrower road, often in a valley, where trees shade the road; often leads to a park

Glen – usually a smaller road which some kind of natural valley or vegetation feature

Grange – a roadway that leads to a country estate or public open space

Grove – a road that has a clump of trees at some point; often called by the name of the tree, e.g. Pine Grove

Highway – a main thoroughfare or route

Lane – a narrower country road, or a road between buildings, sometimes pedestrian-only

Loop – a road with two access points to another road

Mall – a wide walkway with shops either side

Mews – a small version of a close; typically an accessway for a small number of houses

Motorway – a legal motorway

Parade – similar to an esplanade, but not next to the water

Parkway – a road through parklands

Passage – a narrow pedestrian-only street

Place – similar to a close or mews

Plaza – a road that encloses the four sides of an area forming an open space; similar to a square

Promenade – similar to an esplanade

Quay – a road along the water’s edge

Retreat – a secluded road

Ridge – see crest

Rise – a road that changes elevation substantially

Road – an open road that is primarily for vehicles

Square – a road that’s formed into a square, or is bounded by a square

Steps – a route consisting mainly of steps

Street – a road but with more footpaths and buildings

Terrace – a road in a hilly area which is flat, or a road with terraced housing, or a road that stands above another feature

View – a roadway which has a wide or panoramic view across the surrounding areas

Vista – similar to a view (the word is Spanish/Italian for ‘view’)

Walk – a pedestrian-only route

Way – usually a short road, sometimes with an exit at either end

Wharf – a road on a wharf or pier

As many towns and cities have developed substantially since these roads were originally named, they may no longer resemble the original intent of the name.