Tag:highway=turning_circle
 highway = turning_circle
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A widened area of road that allows vehicles to turn more easily  
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| Rendering in OSM Carto |
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| Group: Highways |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
Status: approved
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A turning circle (known in American English as a "cul-de-sac" or "knuckle") is a widened area of road that allows vehicles to turn more easily. Often, but not always, a turning circle is circular in shape and located at the end of a 
dead-end street ("cul-de-sac street", "blind alley", "close", "no through road"), resembling a frying pan. Either there is no central island or the island is traversable (for example, not taken up by parking spaces or greenery).
Where to find them
A turning circle may occur along a road instead of at the end. This can happen when more houses are built later and the road is extended. The nodes of 58489782 (Visualise) on Arthur Road, Wokingham
Arthur Road, Wokingham are examples of this. Typically houses leading up to and on the turning circle are noticeably older than the houses beyond it.
In the United States, turning circles are very common in suburban planned residential areas. In some areas, every street ends in a turning circle (in which case it is called a "cul-de-sac"), and a turning circle may appear at every bend in a road (in which case it is called a "knuckle").
How to map
Place a node that is part of the road at the center of the widened area and add highway=turning_circle.
To specify the size of the turning circle, set diameter=* to the diameter, specifying the unit of measurement, for example diameter=10 m, diameter=12.5 m, diameter=70', etc. If the turning circle is rectangular and not circular, use the shorter of the two axes.
turning_circle=* is sometimes used to clarify the shape of the turning circle, in case it is not a classic circle. For example, turning_circle=hammer indicates a T-shaped turnaround area at the end of a street, and turning_circle=knuckle indicates a turning circle at an L-shaped bend in the road.
When not to use
- For a more detailed comparison of these features, see Circular and widened road features
- If there is a non-traversable island, and the place is meant for turning, then consider using the new (but unproven) highway=turning_loop, or preferably draw a small loop of road.
- If there is a non-traversable island, and traffic must drive around the center, then consider using junction=roundabout.
- If there is no island or the island is traversable, and traffic must drive around the center, then consider using highway=mini_roundabout.
- If the widened area is meant for oncoming vehicles to pass each other, then consider using highway=passing_place.
Examples
Suburban residential subdivision in the United States
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Rendering
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For a range of highway types, eg highway=service highway=residential highway=living_street |
A turning circle is typically rendered as a circle at higher zooms, in the same style as residential or unclassified highways. |
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For highway=track |
History
As with most tags in OpenStreetMap, this tag is based on the British English term "turning circle", and refers to turning places regardless of shape, including circular, square, triangular and otherwise.
See also
- area:highway=turning_circle - The physical area of a turning circle.
- noexit=yes - To describe the end of a way
- highway=turning_loop - A widened area of a highway with a non-traversable island for turning around, often circular and at the end of a road
- highway=passing_place - A passing place on a single track road
- highway=mini_roundabout - A road junction where the traffic goes around a painted circle or traversable island and has right of way
- turning_circle=* - The kind of turning circle.