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How long is the drive from Nottingham to Birmingham Airport?

Real drive-time bands, best route, and when the M42 will ruin your morning. Everything you need to plan a stress-free BHX transfer.

2025-12-11 · 4 min read

Nottingham to Birmingham Airport is 55 miles via M1/M42. Normal drive time: 1h 15min. Here's the honest breakdown.

Route

A453 out of Nottingham → M1 southbound → M42 J24 → BHX at J6. It's the fastest route in every scenario except a live M42 incident.

Drive-time bands

  • Overnight: 1h 5min.
  • 5–7am: 1h 15min. Ideal window.
  • 7–9am: 1h 45min. M42 J6 southbound backs up badly.
  • 9am–3pm: 1h 20min.
  • 3–6:30pm: 1h 40min.
  • Evening: 1h 10min.

Timing rule

  • Short-haul: leave Nottingham 3 hours before departure.
  • Long-haul (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, TUI Dreamliner): leave 4 hours before departure.

When to avoid driving yourself

BHX parking is genuinely expensive — a week is £110+. Fuel is £15 return. Our fixed [Nottingham to Birmingham Airport](/airports/birmingham) fare is £75 one way, £150 return. For two people it's already cheaper than parking; for four, it's a bargain.

Terminals

BHX is effectively one building — see our [Birmingham Airport terminal guide](/blog/birmingham-airport-terminal-security-guide) for the full story.

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