A copper foil for a printed wiring board, said copper foil having a roughened layer comprised of needle or rod-shaped particles, wherein on at least one surface of the copper foil, an average diameter at a needle-like or rod-like particle root (D1) corresponding to a distance of 10% of a needle-like or rod-like particle length is 0.2 μm to 1.0 μm, and a ratio of the particle length (L1) to the average diameter at the particle root (D1) is 15 or less when L1/D1, and a ratio of an average diameter at a needle-like or rod-like particle middle (D2) corresponding to a distance of 50% of the particle length to the average diameter at the particle root (D1) is less than 1.51 when D2/D1.