northbound

Northbound is a directional term used to indicate movement toward the north or toward the northern part of a route, region, or area. It is the opposite of southbound and is commonly used in transportation, navigation, and geography. The word combines north, the cardinal direction, with bound, meaning headed toward. In many contexts, it denotes the direction of travel rather than the destination alone.

In road transportation, northbound describes traffic traveling toward the northern portion of a country or along a highway. On maps and signs, lanes and exits may be labeled northbound, N, or North to help travelers maintain the correct direction.

In rail systems, northbound refers to trains moving toward the north end of a line. Timetables, track diagrams, and signaling may designate services as northbound and require passengers to board at the northbound platform or use northbound routes.

In aviation and maritime contexts, the term is used to describe headings toward higher latitudes; air routes, shipping lanes, and terminal arrivals can be described as northbound when following a northward course. The concept also appears in planning and data analysis to distinguish northerly movements from southerly ones, such as traffic flows along a corridor or migratory patterns.