This Highway in Norway Is Literally the Last Road on Earth

Drive to the edge of the Earth: Norway’s E-69 Highway, the ‘Last Road of the World,’ where glaciers, fjords, and the Arctic Ocean meet. (Image: Instagram/ @jfwickes)

Imagine a road that simply stops—no next town, no detours, no continuation. Just the end of the tarmac, where land surrenders to glaciers and the Arctic Ocean. That’s the E-69 Highway in Norway, often called the “Last Road of the World.”

It’s a road trip unlike any other, where the destination isn’t just a place but the edge of the Earth itself.

The Road That Defies Geography

Of course, science tells us Earth is round, without a beginning or an end. But here, at 71° north latitude, you’ll feel as though you’ve truly reached the planet’s limits. The E-69 stretches about 129 kilometers from the fishing village of Olderfjord in Finnmark all the way to Nordkapp (North Cape), a cliff that towers 307 meters above the Arctic Ocean.

Beyond this point? Only drifting ice, restless seas, and the occasional polar bear wandering across frozen floes.

An Engineering Marvel Beneath the Arctic

The road itself is no ordinary ribbon of asphalt. One of its highlights is the North Cape Tunnel, a jaw-dropping 6.9-kilometer-long undersea passage that dips 212 meters below sea level. Completed in 1999, it was once one of the deepest underwater tunnels in the world. Driving through it feels like slipping into the Earth’s underbelly before emerging into stark Arctic beauty.

Seasons of Extremes

Driving the E-69 is a journey through two dramatically different worlds, depending on when you go:

• Summer: Under the Midnight Sun, the E-69 glows in endless daylight. Fjords, reindeer pastures, and cliffs stretch along the road, making 2 a.m. feel like noon. Travelers should watch for wandering reindeer along the open highway.
• Winter: The Arctic transforms into a silent, snowbound wonderland, with the Northern Lights dancing overhead. Only organized convoys can navigate the northern stretches, as ice, snow, and strong winds make solo travel perilous.

Though remote, the E-69 offers cozy pauses along its course. You’ll find:

• Local lodges serving steaming bowls of reindeer stew and fresh cod.
• Arctic museums that trace the history of polar expeditions and Sami culture.
• Viewpoints that showcase some of Norway’s most hauntingly beautiful landscapes—fjords, tundra, and seascapes that blur into infinity.

A Road With Rules

Mystery and remoteness aside, the E-69 isn’t lawless adventure. Because of harsh conditions, parts of the road are closed during extreme weather, and authorities impose restrictions. In certain stretches, walking or driving alone is prohibited—not just discouraged but punishable. It’s a stark reminder that nature rules here, and survival means respecting its boundaries.

Why It’s a Must-Drive

For road trip enthusiasts, the E-69 is a bucket-list journey. Not because it’s easy—it isn’t—but because it’s singular. Few places on Earth allow you to drive this close to the North Pole.

To sit behind the wheel here is to chase the horizon to where it dissolves, to experience both the humbling smallness of being human and the grandeur of a planet that still holds wild, untamed frontiers.

The E-69 isn’t just a road. It’s a statement: that there are still ends of the Earth worth reaching, if only to stand and look out at the nothingness beyond.