From Matsuyama Airport into the City, and Back Before Your Flight: Major Congestion Points and Times in Matsuyama City, as Written by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
For drivers going from Matsuyama Airport to central Matsuyama and Dogo, and back to the airport. The Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council list of major congestion points (as of February 19, 2025), the congestion times the official sources write, and the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road airport line information.
Summary
- Ehime Prefecture has 109 major congestion points, and the Matsuyama city center area includes 34 of them (as of February 19, 2025).
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism writes that Kuko-dori 2-chome intersection has congestion mainly at the morning and evening peak.
- Official materials show congestion on the Matsuyama Ring Road (south) at commuter and school rush hours, and on National Route 33 in the morning.
- The airport line information has the opening on February 24, 2024 and a diagram of the recommended route from Higashi-Habu IC to the airport.
- Neither the congestion materials nor the airport information give a number of minutes to allow when returning to the airport.
Official Sources Write About Congestion in the Morning and Evening, at Commuter Hours, and in the Morning
On the roads from Matsuyama Airport into Matsuyama city, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Ehime Prefecture name some intersections as “major congestion points (主要渋滞箇所).” This article puts that list next to the congestion times and causes that the official materials write.
The way times are written differs by material. The morning and evening peak (Kuko-dori 2-chome), commuter and school rush hours (the south part of the Matsuyama Ring Road), and the morning (National Route 33 toward Matsuyama IC) appear in the official text. Other times of day, and numbers for how crowded it is on a given day, are not in the materials I checked.
The roads from the airport to Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle are written in other articles. This article is for knowing, in advance, the congested places along those roads.
Ehime Prefecture Has 109 Major Congestion Points, 34 in the Matsuyama City Center Area
The body that decides the major congestion points is the Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council (愛媛県渋滞対策協議会), made up of the national government, the prefecture, cities and others. A July 2026 release from the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism writes the following.
愛媛県渋滞対策協議会では、渋滞対策を効率的に進めるため、平成24年度に「主要渋滞箇所」を特定し、毎年度、対策等について議論を行ってきたところです。
Translation: “To carry out congestion countermeasures efficiently, the Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council identified ‘major congestion points’ in fiscal 2012 and has discussed countermeasures every year.”
The Shikoku Regional Development Bureau page writes how the points were chosen.
各県の渋滞対策協議会において、客観的なデータなどを活用して、渋滞が多発している箇所などを抽出し、 道路利用者などからご意見を伺ったうえで、「地域の主要渋滞箇所」を選定しました。
Translation: “In each prefecture’s congestion countermeasures council, places with frequent congestion were extracted using objective data and other information, and after hearing opinions from road users, the ‘regional major congestion points’ were selected.”
The newest list for Ehime, within what I could check on the office’s page, is a PDF updated on February 19, 2025. The overall diagram for Ehime Prefecture on page 1 shows 109 major congestion points. They are grouped into 1 area and 20 sections, and there are 14 individual points. The same diagram says that the 1 area includes 34 points and the 20 sections include 61 points.
The map legend explains areas and sections as follows.
区 間：交差点等が連担するなど、速度低下箇所が連続しており、複数の主要渋滞箇所を含む区間 エリア：都市部等、混雑区間・箇所が面的に広がっており、複数路線に跨り複数の主要渋滞箇所を含む区域
Translation: “Section: a section where intersections and similar places are linked and slow-speed places are continuous, containing several major congestion points. Area: an area such as an urban district where congested sections and points spread out over an area, crossing several routes and containing several major congestion points.”
The 1 area is the Matsuyama city center area. On the routes from Matsuyama Airport to Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle, there are also intersections that belong to this area or to the sections around it (see the table below).
List for the Matsuyama Area: 12 Sections in the Area, and the Sections Around It
I copied the table in the PDF diagram “Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture” number by number. The intersection names are written as in the PDF, with the English reading first and the Japanese in parentheses. The numbers are the numbers in the squares on the PDF map.
The 12 Sections in the Matsuyama City Center Area
| No. | Road | Intersections (point names) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Route 11, Matsuyama City Center Section (一般国道11号 松山市中心地区) | Fukuonji-cho (福音寺町), Kosaka (小坂), Katsuyama-cho (勝山町) |
| 2 | National Route 11 to Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Airport Line, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道11号から(主)松山空港線 松山市地区) | Kosaka (小坂), Amayama (天山), Asoda-nishi (朝生田西), near Kuko-dori 2-chome (空港通2丁目付近) |
| 3 | National Route 56, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道56号 松山市地区) | Kita-Fujiwara (北藤原), Saibi High School-mae (済美高校前), Nishi-Horibata (西堀端) |
| 4 | National Route 196, Matsuyama City Center Section (一般国道196号 松山市中心地区) | Nishi-Horibata (西堀端), Shobokyoku-mae (消防局前) |
| 5 | National Route 196 to Municipal Road Miyamae 118 Line, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道196号から(市)宮前118号線 松山市地区) | near Kuko-dori 2-chome (空港通2丁目付近), Shoseki-iriguchi (生石入口), Shoseki-cho (生石町), Minami-Edo 3-chome Minami (南江戸3丁目南), Anjoji-mae (安城寺前), Misawa 2-chome (美沢2丁目), Chuo 2-chome (中央2丁目), Kinuyama (衣山) |
| 6 | Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Port Line, Matsuyama City Section ((主)松山港線 松山市地区) | Matsuyama Station-mae (松山駅前), Fuji Grand Matsuyama Nishi (フジグラン松山西) |
| 7 | Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Port Line to National Route 437, Matsuyama City Section ((主)松山港線から一般国道437号 松山市地区) | Chuo 1-chome (中央1丁目), Chuo 2-chome (中央2丁目), Kumanodai (久万ノ台) |
| 8 | Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Hojo Line, Matsuyama City Section ((主)松山北条線 松山市地区) | Kenmin Bunka Kaikan-mae (県民文化会館前), Kami-Ichiman (上一万), Katsuyama-cho (勝山町) |
| 9 | General Prefectural Road Rokkenya-Ishite Line, Matsuyama City Section ((一)六軒家石手線 松山市地区) | Chuo 1-chome (中央1丁目), Shobokyoku-mae (消防局前), Super Nitto Takasago-ten-mae (スーパー日東高砂店前), SONIC-mae (SONIC前), Gokoku Jinja-iriguchi-saki (護国神社入口先), Fuji Koporasu-mae (富士コーポラス前) |
| 10 | Municipal Road Chuo Loop Line, Matsuyama City Section ((市)中央循環線 松山市地区) | Kami-Ichiman (上一万), Nishi-Ichiman (西一万) |
| 11 | National Route 11 to Municipal Road Yasaka 32 Line, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道11号から(市)八坂32号線 松山市地区) | Kosaka (小坂), Edamatsu (枝松), Yuwataribashi-kitazume (湯渡橋北詰) |
| 12 | Municipal Road Shiyakusho-mae Amayama Line, Matsuyama City Section ((市)市役所前天山線 松山市地区) | Kawaramachi (河原町), Kawaramachi 2 (河原町2), Tachibana 1-chome (立花1丁目), Tachibana 3-chome (立花3丁目), Amayama (天山) |
“To” in the table is the “～” that the PDF uses to join the ends of a section. Intersections with the same name are also listed under several numbers in the PDF table.
Sections Around the Area
| No. | Road | Intersections (point names) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | National Route 33, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道33号 松山市地区) | Jitcho (Tobe Town) (拾町（砥部町）), Morimatsu (森松), Ido (井門), Matsuyama IC Entrance (松山IC入口), Kita-Ido-cho (北井門町), Tsubaki Shrine Entrance (椿神社入口), Matsuyama Ishii Post Office-mae (松山石井局前), Higashi-Ishii (東石井), Hidamari Clinic-mae (ひだまり治療院前), Amayama (天山) |
| 14 | National Route 196, Matsuyama City Section (一般国道196号 松山市地区) | Okawabashi (大川橋), Tanimachi (谷町), Hirata-cho, near Hirata Pond (平田町（平田池付近）) |
| 15 | Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Iyo Line, Matsuyama City Section ((主)松山伊予線 松山市地区) | Tsubaki Shrine Nishi-iriguchi (椿神社西入口), Nakagawarabashi Kita (中川原橋北), Nakagawarabashi Minami, Masaki Town (中川原橋南（松前町）) |
| 16 | Principal Prefectural Road Matsuyama Airport Line, Matsuyama City Section ((主)松山空港線 松山市地区) | near Kuko-dori 2-chome (空港通2丁目付近), Takaoka (高岡) |
| 17 | Principal Prefectural Road Iyo-Matsuyama Port Line, Matsuyama City Section ((主)伊予松山港線 松山市地区) | Nishi-Habu (西垣生), Minami-Yoshida (南吉田), Kita-Yoshida-cho (北吉田町) |
| 18 | General Prefectural Road Kume-Habu Line, Matsuyama City Section ((一)久米垣生線 松山市地区) | Ichitsubobashi Kita (市坪橋北), Yogo Koban-mae (余戸交番前) |
| 19 | Municipal Road Chifunemachi-Furukawa Line, Matsuyama City Section ((市)千舟町古川線 松山市地区) | Asoda-nishi (朝生田西), Tokumaru Pediatrics-mae (徳丸小児科前), Otsuka Internal Medicine and Obstetrics-mae (大塚内科産婦人科前) |
The same diagram also lists the following individual points: Kita-Kume-cho intersection (北久米町交差点, circle 8), Kutani-ohashi Minami intersection (久谷大橋南交差点, 98), and Hama intersection (浜交差点, Masaki Town, 56). Section 33 in Masaki Town (National Route 56 to General Prefectural Road Matsuyama-Masaki-Iyo Line) and section 34 in Tobe Town (Principal Prefectural Road Iyo-Kawauchi Line) are also in the table of the same diagram.
Intersections on the Roads from the Airport to Dogo and Matsuyama Castle That Have Names in the List
These are intersections that appear on the routes in other articles and have the same name in the major congestion points list. Intersections not in the list are not in the table.
| Destination | Intersections on the route in the route article | Number in the list |
|---|---|---|
| Dogo Onsen | Kuko-dori 2-chome (空港通2丁目) (in the list: “near Kuko-dori 2-chome intersection (空港通2丁目交差点付近)”) | 2, 5, 16 |
| Dogo Onsen | Nishi-Ichiman (西一万), Kami-Ichiman (上一万) | 10 (Kami-Ichiman is also in 8) |
| Matsuyama Castle | Kita-Fujiwara (北藤原), Saibi High School-mae (済美高校前) | 3 |
| Matsuyama Castle | Nishi-Horibata (西堀端) | 3, 4 |
This table compares the intersection names in the route articles with the names in the list. On the route to Dogo Onsen, Nishi-Ichiman and Kami-Ichiman are in the list besides Kuko-dori 2-chome. On the route to Matsuyama Castle, Kita-Fujiwara, Saibi High School-mae and Nishi-Horibata, in the National Route 56 section, are in the list.
The two route articles are these.
- From Matsuyama Airport to Dogo Onsen: Roads and Parking
- From Matsuyama Airport to Matsuyama Castle: Ropeway Street and Matsuyama Castle Parking
Congestion Times and Causes by Place, as the Official Sources Write
The “Matsuyama Outer Ring Road” page of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism writes the current state of Matsuyama’s main roads. Its description of Kuko-dori 2-chome intersection is as follows.
空港通り２丁目交差点は、松山空港方面への交通量が多く、朝夕のピーク時を中心に通勤目的などの交通等で集中しています。この交通集中によって、交差点を先頭とした著しい渋滞が発生しています。
Translation: “At Kuko-dori 2-chome intersection, traffic toward Matsuyama Airport is heavy, and traffic such as commuting concentrates mainly at the morning and evening peak. Because of this concentration, serious congestion forms with the intersection at its head.”
The same page also has descriptions of the south part of the Matsuyama Ring Road and of National Route 33.
国道11号、33号等と交差する松山環状線(南部)は、愛媛県内で最大の交通量があり、通勤通学のラッシュ時には渋滞が慢性化しています。
Translation: “The Matsuyama Ring Road (south), which crosses National Routes 11, 33 and others, has the largest traffic volume in Ehime Prefecture, and congestion is chronic at the commuter and school rush hours.”
松山IC付近から松山市内中心部に向かう唯一の幹線道路である国道33号は、交通の集中により、県内の国管理国道で最も混雑しています。
Translation: “National Route 33, the only main road from near Matsuyama IC toward the center of Matsuyama city, is the most crowded of the nationally managed national routes in the prefecture because traffic concentrates on it.”
Almost the same sentences are in the pamphlet on the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road created in February 2024. But the pamphlet’s sentence on National Route 33 differs from the page in direction and wording: “the only main road from the center of Matsuyama city toward near Matsuyama IC” and “the most congested.” In the pamphlet, a photo of Matsuyama IC Entrance intersection has the heading “Congestion at the end of the opened section.” It writes that Matsuyama IC Entrance intersection, at the end of the Inter Line, is an at-grade intersection and that congestion occurs there.
I put the times and causes written in the materials into a table by place.
| Place | Time written in the official materials | Cause written | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuko-dori 2-chome intersection (west part of the Matsuyama Ring Road) | Mainly at the morning and evening peak | Traffic toward Matsuyama Airport is heavy, and commuting and other traffic concentrates | Matsuyama Outer Ring Road page, pamphlet |
| Matsuyama Ring Road (south) | Commuter and school rush hours | The largest traffic volume in Ehime Prefecture. It crosses National Routes 11, 33 and others | Matsuyama Outer Ring Road page, pamphlet |
| National Route 33 (between near Matsuyama IC and the city center) | Morning (the tourist-season flyer; the direction toward Matsuyama IC) | The only main road between near Matsuyama IC and the city center, and traffic concentrates on it (the page and the pamphlet write opposite directions) | Matsuyama Outer Ring Road page, pamphlet, tourist-season flyer |
| Matsuyama IC Entrance intersection | No time written | The end of the Inter Line is an at-grade intersection | Pamphlet |
National Route 33 Is Congested in the Morning in the Tourist Season
The Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council has put out a flyer about National Route 33 in the tourist season. The flyer on the page, “Mou chotto yukkuri shite ikan? Matsuyama tabi” (もうちょっとゆっくりしていかん？松山旅; the file name suggests fiscal 2026), has this heading.
午前中は松山ICまでの国道33号が渋滞するため、松山市内でゆっくり観光がおすすめ！
Translation: “National Route 33 up to Matsuyama IC is congested in the morning, so we recommend sightseeing slowly in Matsuyama city!”
The same office’s pages also have information for people heading from Matsuyama toward Takamatsu during the Obon holidays. It recommends National Route 11 for people going from the Dogo Onsen side toward Takamatsu. As the result for the previous year’s (2025) Obon, it writes that from 9:00 to 12:00 the route using National Route 11 and Kawauchi IC arrived sooner than the route from National Route 33 through Matsuyama IC. The difference was largest in the 10:00 hour, at 6 minutes.
This information is for the direction leaving Matsuyama city toward Takamatsu, and it is not written for people going from the airport into the city. I included it because it is an example in which the official side names the same morning congestion on National Route 33.
For the morning commuter hours, a social experiment was held on weekday mornings from October 27 to November 7, 2025, and the information page has the following sentence (the period of the experiment has ended).
松山都市圏では、朝の通勤時間帯において松山市中心部へ向かう方向を中心に慢性的な 混雑が発生しています。（国道３３号は中心部から砥部町へ向かう方向も混雑しています。）
Translation: “In the Matsuyama metropolitan area, chronic congestion occurs in the morning commuter hours, mainly in the direction toward the center of Matsuyama city. (National Route 33 is also congested in the direction from the center toward Tobe Town.)”
Matsuyama Outer Ring Road Airport Line: The Section Opened on February 24, 2024
The Matsuyama Outer Ring Road connects Matsuyama IC, Matsuyama Airport, Matsuyama Port and other places. The pamphlet created in February 2024 explains it as follows.
松山外環状道路インター線全線、空港線側道部の一部がすでに開通しており、令和６年２月には国道56号の高架を含めた空港線本線部が一部開通となりました。
Translation: “The whole Inter Line of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road and part of the side road section of the Airport Line have already opened, and in February 2024 part of the main section of the Airport Line, including the elevated section over National Route 56, opened.”
In the pamphlet’s diagram, the Airport Line is written as 3.8 km long, the Inter Line as 4.8 km, and the Inter East Line as 2.0 km. The section opened on February 24, 2024 is shown as 2.4 km. The same diagram also writes 3.2 km for the already opened side road section. In the diagram, the Inter East Line is drawn as a section not yet opened.
What I checked for this article is the content of the pamphlet created in February 2024. I have not checked how things have gone since. Before you leave, check the pages of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The “effects of the improvement” page of the pamphlet has a diagram of travel times.
| Section | Now (via the side road section, after the opening in March 2021) | After opening (via the Airport Line, section opened in February 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Matsuyama Airport to Matsuyama IC | 17 minutes | 13 minutes (about 4 minutes shorter) |
The note on the diagram says the data is “ETC2.0 probe data,” and the period is weekdays from 7:00 to 19:00 from September to November 2021. For the after-opening column, it is noted that the section opened in February 2024 is driven at the regulation speed of 60 km/h.
The same diagram also has the travel time from Matsuyama Airport to National Route 11 (Kishi-cho, Matsuyama city). Via National Route 11 it is 28 minutes, and after the whole line opens it writes 12 minutes via the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road (about 16 minutes shorter). This is a number for after the whole line opens, not the current number with the Inter East Line not yet open.
Diagram of the Recommended Route from Higashi-Habu IC to the Airport
The Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council has a page called “Guide to the Recommended Route to Matsuyama Airport” (松山空港へのおすすめルートのご案内).
松山空港へ松山外環状道路経由で向かわれる方は、混雑を回避するため以下のルートをおすすめいたします。また、現地でも案内看板を設置しています。
Translation: “For people heading to Matsuyama Airport via the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road, we recommend the following route to avoid congestion. We have also set up guide signs on site.”
The diagram (an image) on the page shows the route from Higashi-Habu IC to the airport. The diagram reads as follows.
- After leaving Higashi-Habu IC, photo 1 in the diagram says “空港を利用される方はここで左折してください” (people using the airport, turn left here).
- After that, photo 2 says “空港を利用される方はここで右折してください” (people using the airport, turn right here).
- Photo 3 is a photo of the airport entrance and says “松山空港入口” (Matsuyama Airport Entrance).
- In the diagram’s legend, the area around the old Kuko-dori is shown in a pale color as “現在混雑している地区” (a district that is currently congested).
Next to the words Matsuyama Outer Ring Road in the diagram, “令和6年2月24日開通” (opened on February 24, 2024) is written. The diagram does not write the names of the intersections for the left and right turns. Check where to turn with the photos in the diagram and the guide signs on site.
How Much Time to Allow When Returning to the Airport: No Number of Minutes in the Official Materials
The congestion materials I checked do not write a “number of minutes to allow” for people returning to the airport. The “morning and evening peak” at Kuko-dori 2-chome is written about traffic toward Matsuyama Airport, but no time figure matched to a return flight is given.
The airport’s and the companies’ information is gathered in another article.
- The airport’s official page does not write a number such as how many minutes before departure, and says that the check-in and security inspection deadlines differ by airline.
- Five of the rental car companies ask for contact in advance if the return may be late.
The numbers and the differences by company are in Before Returning Your Rental Car at Matsuyama Airport: Fuel Rules, Return Times, and the Road to the Airport. For renting, see What to Know Before Renting a Car at Matsuyama Airport.
Pages to Check Before You Leave
- Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council (Matsuyama River and National Highway Office): the page with the major congestion points PDF, the tourist-season information, and the recommended route to the airport.
- Where to Check Ehime Road Information Before You Leave: an article that gathers the pages for seeing the road situation on the day.
About This Article
The date checked is October 14, 2026. I read, one by one, the page of the Ehime Congestion Countermeasures Council, the PDF of the major congestion points as of February 19, 2025 (the tables and diagrams were turned into images and read by eye), the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road page and pamphlet of the Matsuyama River and National Highway Office, and the tourist-season information.
The list of major congestion points has been updated many times so far (updates shown on the office’s page include March 3, 2023, February 28, 2024, and February 19, 2025). The intersection names written here are as of February 19, 2025.
What I could not check is as follows.
- Whether there is a list newer than February 19, 2025 (the newest on the office’s page was this date).
- The numbers (speed or time) of the standard for choosing major congestion points. The materials I checked do not write numbers.
- Measured travel times after the opening of the airport line. The pamphlet has the numbers in the diagram.
- What happened to the Inter East Line of the Matsuyama Outer Ring Road after the pamphlet created in February 2024.
- Actual travel times from the airport into the city, by time of day.
- An official guide for how many minutes earlier to leave, allowing for congestion, when returning to the airport.
I have not written anything in this article that I confirmed by driving the roads myself.
Sources
- 松山河川国道事務所/道について/愛媛県渋滞対策協議会 (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- （愛媛県 地域の主要渋滞箇所（一般道）、令和7年2月19日時点、PDF） (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- （四国地方の主要渋滞箇所について、四国地方整備局のページ） (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- （愛媛県内の渋滞削減に向けて、令和8年度第1回愛媛県渋滞対策協議会を開催します、令和8年7月24日、PDF） (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/松山外環状道路 (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- （松山外環状道路 スムーズな交通を目指して、令和6年2月作成、PDF） (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- 松山空港へのおすすめルートのご案内 (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/道について/愛媛県渋滞対策協議会/渋滞緩和にご協力のお願い (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- （もうちょっとゆっくりしていかん？松山旅、愛媛県渋滞対策協議会のチラシ、PDF） (retrieved October 14, 2026)
- 松山河川国道事務所/道について/愛媛県渋滞対策協議会/渋滞緩和にご協力のお願い (retrieved October 14, 2026)
Related articles
- From Matsuyama Airport to Dogo Onsen: Roads and Parking
- From Matsuyama Airport to Matsuyama Castle: Ropeway Street and the Castle Parking Lot
- Before you return a rental car at Matsuyama Airport: fuel rules, return times, and the way back to the airport
- What to know before renting a car at Matsuyama Airport
- Where to check road information in Ehime before you leave
- Rules for Driving on the Same Road as Trams in Matsuyama