This paper reports on research used to evaluate the application of infrared thermography for the detection of asphalt cracking, which in the past, has generally relied on images produced by analog and digital cameras operating in the visual range of light. Presence of shadows, poor light conditions, white cracks, and a variety of other problems have presented serious challenges to automated crack identification and detection in this frequency region. The goal here is to test the hypothesis that asphalt cracks cause changes to surface conditions and emissivity leading to perceived temperature differentials that can be exploited by infrared camera detection. The research involved the production of images from both conventional and infrared cameras. Several parameters have been evaluated including: choice of infrared detection range, various lenses, exposure during both day and night hours, and other parameters for both flexible and rigid pavements. Results show that under the right conditions, infrared thermography can yield more superior results and allow the identification of very small cracks, about 1-2 mm in width, which are virtually impossible to detect using conventional cameras.