The French hierarchy of roads is determined by who is in charge of their construction and maintenance. So if the communes (municipalities) are in charge of the routes communales, and the départements in charge of the routes départementales, the nation, that is, the French state, is in charge of the routes nationales.

The routes nationales (RN) form a national road network that predates autoroutes (highways/motorways). Contrary to the autoroutes (highways/motorways), there are no toll stations on the Nationales, making them a cheaper (if slower) alternative.

The RN 13 is one of the main Nationales starting out from Paris. It links Paris with the town of Cherbourg in the département Manche, as one of four Nationales between Paris and Normandy.

On the stretch between Porte Maillot and La Défense business district, it accommodates up to 160,000 vehicles per day.