Autobahn-Tempolimit
The A40 and its speed limit
The A40 runs from Straelen to Dortmund and is 92 km long. Of that, 26.3 km have no speed limit (28.6%) – here are the exact figures, the longest open stretch and where the limit applies.
Route of the A40
The A40 runs from Straelen to Dortmund.
Along the way it links Moers, Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Essen and Bochum.
Major motorway interchanges along the route include Kreuz Moers, Kreuz Kaiserberg and Kreuz Bochum.
The A40 in numbers
| Category | Length | Share as bar |
|---|---|---|
| Total length | 92 km | |
| no speed limit | 26.3 km | |
| fixed limit | 47 km |
The longest open stretch
In one go without a limit you can drive up to 15.4 km on the A40 (per carriageway) – the longest continuous derestricted section of this Autobahn. On the interactive map you can follow exactly where the limit drops and where it returns.
Enter start and destination and see how much of your drive is open – and what that means for travel time.
How the figures are produced
The basis is our own analysis of the freely available OpenStreetMap data. For every section of the A40 we check whether a speed limit is recorded and sum the length by category. “No limit recorded” means the tag is missing in the data – which is not the same as open road. This is a data-based analysis, not an official survey.
Frequently asked questions
Which cities lie on the A40?
The A40 runs from Straelen to Dortmund and passes, among others, Moers, Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Essen and Bochum.
How much of the A40 has no speed limit?
26.3 km of the total 92 km, i.e. 28.6%. The remaining 65.7 km have a fixed limit, are gantry-controlled or have no recorded limit.
How long is the longest open stretch on the A40?
Up to 15.4 km in one go – the longest continuous derestricted section on the A40 (per carriageway).
Is the A40 completely derestricted?
No. While 28.6% is open, interchanges, junctions and roadworks carry a limit. No Autobahn is fully derestricted.
Data source: our own analysis of OpenStreetMap speed limits, as of 22 September 2026. Kilometres averaged per carriageway. Not an official survey.