What is the difference between a road, street, avenue?

It has proven to be a revelation for many Kiwis. Photo credit: Getty

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Road, Street and Avenue is?

Turns out those conventions aren't just for a laugh - there's actually a meaning behind them.

Auckland Council's road naming guidelines explains what those road types mean and why it's named that way. 

What is a road?

Road - Open road primarily for vehicles.

Roads are usually a route between two places that has been paved to allow travel by transport.

What is the difference between road and street?

A street normally has shops/stores or houses along both sides which facilitates public interaction. A road may also have houses/buildings on either side but its main function is as a transportation route.

What is an avenue?

An avenue is broader than a road, usually planted with trees on each side.

Here's a full list of Road Types in Auckland:

Alley - Usually narrow roadway in a city or town

Ara - Road (option to be used as a prefix for Te Reo Maori or Moriori road names)

Arcade - Covered walkway with shops along the sides

Avenue - Broad road, usually planted on each side with trees

Boulevard - Wide road, well paved, usually ornamented with trees and grass plots

Circle - Road that generally forms a circle, or a short enclosed roat bounded by a circle

Close - Short, enclosed road

Court - Short, enclosed roads, usually surrounded by buildings

Crescent - Crescent shaped road, especially where both ends join the same thoroughfare.

Drive - Wide main road without many cross-streets

Esplanade - Level road, often bordering water; along the seaside, lake or a river

Glade - Road often leading to a grassed public recreation area

Grove - Road that features a group of trees standing together

Highway - Main road or thoroughfare; a main route

Lane - Narrow road between walls, buildings or a narrow country road

Loop - Road that diverges from and re-joins the main thoroughfare

Mall - Wide walkway, usually with shops along the sides

Mews - Road in a group of houses

Parade - Public promenade or road that has good pedestrian facilities along the side

Place - Short, sometimes narrow, enclosed road

Promenade - Wide, flat walkway, usually along the water's edge

Quay - Road alongside or projecting into water

Rise - Road going to a higher place or position

Road - Open road primarily for vehicles

Square - Road which forms a square shape, or an area of road bounded by four sides

Steps - Walkway consisting mainly of steps

Street - Public road in an urban area, especially where paved and with footpaths and buildings along one or both sides

Te Ara - Road (option to be used as a prefix for Te Reo Maori or Moriori road names)

Terrace - Road on a hilly area that is mainly flat

Track - Walkway in natural setting

Walk - Thoroughfare for pedestrians

Way - Short enclosed road

Wharf - A road on a wharf or pier

Of course, these guidelines from Auckland Council may not apply to every city in the world, but it has proven to be a revelation for many Kiwis.

Posting the information on Reddit on Thursday, the user captioned, "you're welcome".

"There's truly a list for everything," one person commented. 

"We need this as a flow chart," said another. 

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