Early Routes: The ThaI pass had been an important trade route between the Deccan and the coast from the earliest times. [This account is based on the description of routes published in the Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, Nasik District, 1883, Chapter VI.] The Nasik caves and mention of the town by Ptolemy point to Nasik as a place of importance from the second century before, to the second century after, the Christian era. About a hundred years later, the author of Periplus (247) mentions that trade passed from Broach in Gujarat to Paithan on the Godavari and to Tagar ten days further east. A part of this trade probably went through the Kundai pass, crossed the Nasik district, and left it by the Kasari pass in the Satmalas. From the ninth to the thirteenth century, while Devgiri, or Daulatabad, was one of the greatest capitals in the Deccan, and Supara was one of the chief centres of trade on the coast, the Thal Pass must have been the main route of traffic. Afterwards, in the fifteenth and early part of the sixteenth centuries, the bulk, of the trade passed further south between Ahmednagar and Chaul and between Bijapur and Dabhul or Kudal. In the sixteenth century, the establishment of Portuguese power at Bassein brought a large trade back to its old route by Nasik. In the seventeenth century, when foreign trade centered in Surat, the bulk of the commerce of the Deccan passed along the north and south routes mentioned in the Periplus. When Bombay took the place of Surat, trade once more set along the earliest route through the ThaI Pass, and this, for the last fifty years, has been the chief line of traffic in Western India.

Routes during British Period: At the beginning of British rule there were no made roads. The chief routes of trade passed through Nasik and Malegaon. The Poona-Surat road with a length of 254 miles through Chakan, Narayan Gaon, the Viscera Pass, and Dothan, entered by the Sinnar pass, and touching Nasik and Dindori, left the district by the Rahud Pass and continued its course to Surat through Umbarthana the Nirpan Pass, the Vagh Pass and Gondevi. The Ahmednagar-Nasik road ninety-seven miles long passed through Rahuri, Sangamner and Sinnar. The Aurangabad-Nasik road and the road linking Malegaon with Baroda served the need of traffic.

The Bombay-Agra trunk road was the chief trade route traversing through Chandor, Nasik, Igatpuri, the ThaI pass, Shahapur and Bhiwandi. The Poona-Nasik road, the Nasik-Balsar road, the Malegaon-Kopargaon road, and the Nandgaon-Aurangabad road were the principal routes of trade. During the course of the present century the Bombay-Agra trunk road and Provincial roads were improved. A number of bridges were also constructed to facilitate easy transport.

Present Routes of Trade: The Bombay-Bhusawal-Delhi trunk railway is the most important artery of trade. This vital line which was opened for traffic in 1861 traverses through the entire length of the district. It touches a number of important centres of trade such as, Nasik, Lasalgaon, Niphad, Manmad and Nandgaon. Huge consign­ments are booked by this route to Bombay, Thana, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Calcutta, Delhi, Jabalpur and the other important markets in Maharashtra and upper India. The Manmad-Dhond railway line is another important trade link between the Bombay-Bhusawal-Delhi route and the Bombay-Madras route. Besides being an important link between the sea routes, it served the commercial traffic from Manmad, Yeola, Kopargaon, Rahuri and Ahmadnagar. The Manmad-Kacheguda meter gauge line serves trade traffic to Aurangabad, Jalna, Sailu, Parbhani, Nanded, Dharmabad, Secunderabad and Hyderabad. In fact, this is the only rail link between this part of Maharashtra and Hyderabad.

The Bombay-Agra National Highway is a very important trade route facilitating trade in agricultural produce in almost the entire district. Traversing through Nasik and Malegaon, it serves traffic to metropolitan Bombay on the one side and Dhulia, Jalgaon, Akola, Amaravati, Nagpur, Indore and other markets in upper India on the other side. The Nasik-Poona national highway which passes through Sinnar and Sangamner connects the commercial interests in the two important towns. Besides Poona the entrepot centre, this highway facilitates traffic to the important markets in South Maharashtra, viz., Kolhapur, Sangli, Karad, Satara, and Sholapur. The Malegaon­- Aurangabad State highway passing through Nandgaon serves the export and import trade between the two big markets. The Manmad-Ahmadnagar State highway via Yeola, Kopargaon and Rahuri is an important artery of trade. It passes through the rich areas famous for sugar and gut manufacturing.

Besides, there are a number of state highways and major district roads which serve the needs of trade in the district. They also serve as connecting links between the arteries of trade.[ For details of railway and road routes refer to Chapter 7 Communications.] In the nature of things, Nasik district enjoys good facilities as regards transportation and transit trade.