The journey from London to Brighton took twelve hours, but by 1823 faster coaches were introduced and the journey eventually reduced to five hours. At this time up to sixty coaches per day, thirty each way, passed through Crawley, but by 1860 they had ceased to run after the railway had opened between Three Bridges and Horsham in 1848. However, the American Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt introduced a coach service, the Venture, between London and Brighton on 8th May 1908, stopping at the George Hotel Crawley until the route was changed to go via Dorking in 1910. A second service, the Old Times, was added later.

In 1923 three ex-soldiers started a weekday service between Three Bridges, Crawley, Ifield, Lambs Green, Faygate and Horsham. The route was taken over in 1927 by W.F. Alexander, which became known as Comfy Coaches. It was taken over again in 1946 by the Hants and Sussex and in April 1947 it became their route number 33. Route 33 was extended to Langley Green and Manor Royal during peak hours and in May 1954 a service from Three Bridges to Langley Green via Crawley (route 33A) started. However, the company was put into the hands of the receivers in December 1954.

The East Surrey Traction Company, which was based in Reigate, started a service via Crawley in February 1916. Vehicles were kept overnight at the White Hart until a bus garage was opened in Crawley High Street in June 1929. The High Street garage was closed and moved to Tinsley Lane.

On 1st July 1933 the London Transport Passenger Board (LPTB) was formed, taking over transport in London and the south-east, including the East Surrey Traction Company. LPTB was taken into public ownership at the end of 1947, under the London Transport Executive, a part of the British Transport Commission. In 1963, the British Transport Commission was wound up, and services were transferred to the London Transport Board, overseen by the Minister of Transport. From January 1st 1970 services were transferred to London Country Bus Services, part of the National Bus Company which operated provincial services across the country. London Country also acquired servces from Southdown in April 1971. Privatisation followed in 1988, and London Country was split into four companies and sold, London Country (South West) was bought in February 1988 by Drawlane who became British Bus in 1992. In August 1996 British Bus was bought by the Cowie Group, who rebranded itself Arriva in 1997.

In March 2001 Arriva discontinued its operations in Crawley and most of Surrey. Metrobus purchased Arriva's premises in Crawley, moved the company headquarters there and developed a bus network in the town.

Southdown Motor Services was formed in June 1915. Following the establishment of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, Southdown gained Crawley services previously operated by East Surrey Traction. Southdown was purchased by the National Bus Company in 1969 and in April 1971 Crawley services were transferred to London Country, a subsidiary of the National Bus Company. Southdown was acquired by the Stagecoach Group in 1989 but buses operated under that name until 2015 when the operating licence was transferred to another company within the Stagecoach Group.

South East Provinical, a bus service set up by Premier Luxury Coaches, started new services in Crawley on 1st July 2009.

A local independent bus operator started in September 2014 providing frequent low cost services to Crawley neighbourhoods, Manor Royal and Gatwick. Unable to compete with existing operators services ended on 14th February 2015.

The road between Crawley and Reigate was authorised to be turnpiked by an Act of Parliament in 1696 followed by Brighton to Lowfield Heath in 1770, the turnpike expiring in 1876, and Cuckfield to Crawley and Horsham in 1771. Cuckfield to Balcombe and to Horley was authorised in 1809; Horsham to Crawley direct was authorised in 1823, the turnpike expiring in 1873.

By the 1930s traffic through the High Street had become very heavy, with delays and long queues, sometimes as far back as Pease Pottage Hill, caused by the railway crossing gates. A scheme to bypass the High Street was put forward in 1931. However, work did not start until April 1935, using German concrete laying machines. The bypass was opened on Sunday 9th July 1939.

The M23 opened as far as Pease Pottage in 1974.