A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, any urban

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

or wide

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

in a commercial district. In Europe, boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls. In North American usage, boulevards may be wide, multi-lane thoroughfares divided with only a central median.

Etymology

The word ''boulevard'' is borrowed from French. In France, it originally meant the flat surface of a

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

, and later a

promenade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...

taking the place of a demolished fortification. It is a borrowing from the Dutch word ' ' bulwark'.

Notable examples

Asia

Monivong Boulevard Monivong Boulevard () is a central boulevard and thoroughfare of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. It was named after King Monivong of Cambodia. Most streets in Phnom Penh have numbers rather than names and Monivong Boulevard is also known a ...

Sihanouk Boulevard Sihanouk Boulevard () is a central boulevard of Phnom Penh which is the capital of Cambodia. The boulevard crosses the city in an east–west direction. It is named in honour of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, one of the country's greatest kings. ...

India

* M G Road * Anna Salai * Indira Gandhi Sarani * Marine Drive * Krishnaraja Boulevard * Rajpath * Necklace Road * Mahatma Gandhi Road * Foreshore Road

Indonesia

* Jalan Jenderal Sudirman * Jalan M.H. Thamrin * Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto * Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said * Jalan Gajah Mada/ Jalan Hayam Wuruk * Jalan Prof. Dr. Satrio

Vietnam

* Thang Long Boulevard

Iran

* Keshavarz Boulevard

Philippines

* Roxas Boulevard * Shaw Boulevard * España Boulevard * Quezon Boulevard * Aurora Boulevard * Osmeña Boulevard

Australia and Oceania

Australia

* St Kilda Road,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

* Royal Parade, Melbourne * Victoria Parade, Melbourne * Flemington Road, Melbourne * Mount Alexander Road, Melbourne * The Boulevard, Perth

New Zealand

*The Four Avenues,

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

Anzac Avenue Anzac Avenue is a heritage-listed major arterial road lined with trees in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. It runs from Petrie to Redcliffe, with most of the route signed as state route 71. The route was formerly the main r ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

* Marine Parade, Napier

Europe

Austria

* Vienna Ring Road

Denmark

Boulevards in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

: * Nørre Voldgade * H. C. Andersens Boulevard * Vesterbrogade * Sønder Boulevard * Dalgas Boulevard * Strandboulevarden * Frederiksberg Allé

France

* Boulevard Beaumarchais * Boulevard du Temple * Boulevard Montmartre * Boulevard des Italiens * Boulevard des Capucines *

Boulevard de la Madeleine The Boulevard de la Madeleine () is one of the 11 original '' grands boulevards'' of Paris, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territorie ...

Germany

* Unter den Linden, Berlin * Kurfürstendamm, Berlin * Karl-Marx-Allee, Berlin * Boulevard der Stars, Berlin * Königsallee, Düsseldorf * Goerdelerring,

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

* Brienner Straße,

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

* Leopoldstraße, Munich * Maximilianstraße, Munich * Prinzregentenstraße, Munich

Hungary

* Little Boulevard,

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

* Grand Boulevard, Budapest * Hungária Boulevard, Budapest

Ireland

* O'Connell Street, Dublin

Italy

Viali di Circonvallazione The Viali di Circonvallazione are a series of 6-lane boulevards surrounding the north part of the historic centre of Florence, historic centre of Florence. History The boulevards follow the outline of the ancient walls of Florence, that were demo ...

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

* Via Merulana,

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Netherlands

* Lange Voorhout,

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

Spain

* Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes,

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

*, Barcelona *

Avinguda Diagonal Avinguda Diagonal (; in Spanish language, Spanish: Avenida Diagonal) is the name of one of Barcelona's broadest and most important avenues. It cuts the city in two, diagonally with respect to the grid pattern of the surrounding streets, hence th ...

, Barcelona * Alameda Principal,

Málaga Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...

Portugal

* Avenida da Liberdade,

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

Russia

Boulevard Ring The Boulevard Ring (; transliteration: ''Bulvarnoye Koltso'') is Moscow's second innermost ring road (the first is formed by the Central Squares of Moscow running along the former walls of Kitai-gorod). Boulevards form a semicircular chain along ...

, Moscow ** Tverskoy Boulevard * Garden Ring, Moscow

North America

Canada

* Lake Shore Boulevard,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

* Pie-IX Boulevard,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

* King George Boulevard,

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

Mexico

* Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City

United States

* Ocean Parkway,

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

* Broadway,

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

* West Side Highway, Manhattan * FDR Drive, Manhattan (future project) * Sunset Boulevard,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

* Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles * Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles * Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles * Chicago Boulevard System * Benjamin Franklin Parkway,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

* Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia * Southern Boulevard Park, Philadelphia * Boulevard,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas Boulevard is a major road in Clark County, Nevada, Clark County, Nevada, United States, best known for the Las Vegas Strip portion of the road and its casinos. Formerly carrying U.S. Route 91 in Nevada, U.S. Route 91 (US 91), wh ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

* Ohio River Boulevard,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

South America

Argentina

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Uruguay

* Artigas Boulevard,

Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

References

Books

* * *

External links

*
Boulevards in Vietnam
{{Authority control Types of roads Types of streets Engineering barrages