It runs from the east of Rotherham to Goole and is approximately 26 miles (42 km) long.

It passes east of Rotherham, south-east of Doncaster and Armthorpe, and west of Thorne.

Access to Doncaster is provided from junctions 3 (A6182) and 4 (A630) The middle half of the M18 is a two-lane dual carriageway, and carries relatively low volumes of traffic.

To the north it then crosses the East Coast Main Line, and until its closure and the dismantling of the pit head gear, a large colliery could be seen to the south at Rossington.

[2] Data from driver location signs are used to provide distance and carriageway identifier information.