A passing restraint flag for restraining a host vehicle from passing a preceding vehicle ahead is established by a passing restraint determination unit of the vehicle control device. In addition, when the passing restraint flag is established, a traveling plan for the host vehicle not to pass the preceding vehicle ahead is generated by a traveling plan generation unit of the vehicle control device. The passing restraint determination unit establishes the passing restraint flag when there is the possibility of an inappropriate operation of passing occurring such as when a distance between a merging point of a traveling lane along which the host vehicle travels and a merging lane merging into the traveling lane, and a position of the preceding vehicle having passed through the merging point is equal to or less than a third threshold.