The 2012 UCI Road World Championships took place in the southern part of the Dutch province of Limburg, also known as South Limburg, between September 15 and 23.

The Netherlands had last hosted the Road World Championships in 1998, in Valkenburg aan de Geul, and 2012 was the seventh time that the country hosted the championships.

The start and finish for the events was in Vilt, a commune of Valkenburg aan de Geul on top of the Cauberg.

Circuit = west on Rijksweg in Vilt, continuing through Berg en Terblijt onto Bergerstraat, turning left grazing Maastricht on the east by going south on Molenweg, then turning left and continuing east on Bemelerweg, continuing onto Oude Akerstraat and Bemelerberg through Bemelen, continuing onto Gasthuis, turning left and continuing northeast On Smitserweg, which turns into Bemelerweg grazing Sibbe on the west and into Daalhemerweg curving to north all the way into Valkenburg aan de Geul, at the end turning left onto Cauberg, back to Vilt.

The number of cyclists per nation that competed, excluding riders in the team time trials, is shown in parentheses.