In order to focus on the analysis of the anti-aging properties and microstructural characteristics of water-based road marking coatings, the water-based acrylic resin emulsion was chosen as film-forming material, rutile titanium dioxide and heavy calcium powder were used as pigment fillers, and propylene glycol phenyl ether was used as film-forming agent to prepare a water-based coating suitable for road markings. Orthogonal experimental design was employed to investigate the composition scheme of inclusions, the hiding rate, chroma, and stain resistance were selected as basic evaluation indexes, then the optimal formulation of water-based acrylic road marking coatings was determined by comprehensive weighting method. The thermal properties of water-based acrylic road marking coatings were analyzed by means of thermogravimetric (TG-DTG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) testing methods, and different cycles of UV accelerated aging tests were carried out for water-based acrylic road marking coatings emphatically. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was conducted to analyze the micro-morphological and structural characteristics of waterborne acrylic road marking coatings before and after different cycles aging. The results showed that when the pigment base ratio was 3.2, the amount of titanium dioxide and heavy calcium powder was 20% and 50% respectively, 2% film-forming agent of the total solid content of the coatings was added, indicating better basic performance of the water-based acrylic road marking coatings, the prepared water-based acrylic road marking coatings exhibited a better thermal stability. The coating surface color of the aged water-based acrylic road markings became deep, the roughness increased, and the integrity of it became poor. There existed good dispersion and compatibility between the added pigment filler and the water-based acrylic resin film forming, after different UV aging cycles, the resin molecules of the reticulated coating would gradually degrade, and the surface material of the coating would be gradually lost. © 2023 Cailiao Daobaoshe/ Materials Review. All rights reserved.