Elland Road · Leeds LS11 0ES · Capacity 37,792
Elland Road: an old ground with motorway access
Most grounds of Elland Road's age are wedged into Victorian streets. This one is not. It sits on the edge of Leeds beside the M621 with proper car parks around it, which makes it one of the easiest large grounds in the country to reach and leave by road.
The motorway runs within a few hundred metres of the ground. For a stadium built in 1897 that is an accident of geography rather than planning, and it makes Elland Road markedly easier to get away from than any comparable old ground.
Why the road access here is better than it should be
Elland Road ended up on the right side of Leeds when the motorways were built, and it has benefited ever since.
A few hundred metres
Straight off the motorway and almost immediately there. No city driving from the south.
Which most old grounds lack
Large managed parking around the ground rather than a hunt through terraces.
About two miles
Which helps for access and means the city is a separate leg if you want it.
Undiminished by any of that
One of the loudest grounds in the country, and the modern access does nothing to soften it.
Kent to Leeds
The M1 for most of it, then the M621. Times include the required rest breaks.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 215 miles | 4h – 5h 10m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 210 miles | 3h 55m – 5h 5m |
| Bromley & Orpington | 205 miles | 3h 50m – 5h |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 208 miles | 3h 55m – 5h 5m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 225 miles | 4h 10m – 5h 20m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 222 miles | 4h 5m – 5h 15m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 250 miles | 4h 35m – 5h 45m |
Day return or overnight
Four hours each way puts Leeds right at the boundary. The kick-off time decides it.
| Kick-off | Format | Home by |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30 Saturday | Day return, early start | Around 20:00 |
| 15:00 Saturday | Day return | Around 22:00 |
| 17:30 Saturday | Day return, long | Around 00:30 |
| 20:00 midweek | Overnight strongly advised | Around 03:00 if you drive back |
| Sunday fixtures | Day return | Depends on kick-off, usually manageable |
A Leeds away day
The exit is the good part
Because the ground sits beside a motorway with real car parks rather than in a residential grid, getting away from Elland Road is considerably easier than from most grounds its size. We can hold closer than usual and the route out is onto the M621 rather than through a city. For a four-hour journey home, saving half an hour at the start of it matters.
The atmosphere is unaffected by the easy access
Worth saying, because good transport links sometimes come with a soulless ground. Elland Road is not that. It is old, loud and intimidating, and visiting supporters rate it among the most hostile trips in the country. The modern road access is a happy accident rather than a redevelopment.
Kick-off time decides the format
A half twelve or three o'clock Saturday works as a day return from Kent, getting you home by eight or ten. A half five kick-off pushes it to half past midnight, and an eight o'clock midweek fixture means three in the morning. For the later slots the overnight stops being optional.
Leeds is two miles away if you want it
The ground sits out of the centre, so the city is a separate leg rather than a walk. If your group wants pubs and food in Leeds before or after, tell us and we will build it in. For a four-hour journey each way, most groups would rather eat properly at some point.
Elland Road questions
Access, format and kick-off times.
Is Elland Road easy to reach by road?
Unusually so for a ground of its age. It sits beside the M621 a few hundred metres from the motorway, with proper managed car parks around it rather than terraced streets.
How far is it from Kent?
Around two hundred and five to two hundred and fifty miles, four to five and three quarter hours each way including required rest breaks. The M1 does most of it.
Can we do it as a day return?
For a half twelve or three o'clock kick-off, yes, getting home by eight or ten. A half five kick-off pushes it past midnight and an evening midweek fixture means three in the morning.
How is the exit compared with other big grounds?
Better than most. Beside a motorway with real car parks means we can hold closer and the route out is onto the M621 rather than through a city.
Is the ground in Leeds city centre?
No, about two miles out. If your group wants pubs and food in the city that is a separate leg, which we can build into the booking.
Is it a difficult away day?
Atmospherically, yes, by reputation. Logistically it is one of the easier large grounds in the country, which is an unusual combination.
Can you take a supporters' coach?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats. The ground has proper coach provision, which is not true everywhere.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or added time.
Yorkshire grounds and guides
The M1 away days.