Maximum posted speed limits

January 2009

The following table lists the speed limits for various types of roads in the 50 US states and the District of Columbia. Limited access highways are multiple-lane roads with restricted access using exit and entrance ramps rather than intersections. Interstate highways are part of the national system of limited access highways that connect the nation's principal metropolitan areas and industrial centers. The interstate system is divided into urban and rural sections. The distinction between urban and rural areas is based on population density figures from the US Census Bureau and adjusted by state and local government to reflect planning and other issues. Urban sections are within a census area with an urban population of 5,000 to 49,999 or within a designated urbanized area with a population of 50,000 or greater. Speed limits for commercial use trucks, if different, are listed in red.

Congress repealed the National Maximum Speed Limit in 1995. As of today, 32 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portion of their roadway systems.

  Rural
interstates 		Urban
interstates 		Other
limited
access
roads 		Other
roads 		Effective date
of limits 		Effective date
of limits
State Passenger
vehicles
(mph) 		Passenger
vehicles
(mph) 		Passenger
vehicles
(mph) 		Passenger
vehicles
(mph) 		Rural
interstates		 Urban
interstates 		Other
limited
access
roads		 Other
roads
Alabama 70
65
65
65
05/21/96 05/21/96 05/21/96 05/21/96
Alaska 65
55
65
55
01/15/88 no action 08/25/99 no action
Arizona 75
65
55
55
12/08/95 no action no action no action
Arkansas 70;
trucks: 65
55
601
55
08/19/96 no action 09/15/08 no action
California 70;
trucks: 55
65
trucks: 55
70
65
01/08/96 01/08/96 01/08/96 no action
Colorado 75
65
65
65
06/24/96 06/24/96 06/24/96 no action
Connecticut 65
55
65
55
10/01/98 no action 10/01/98 no action
Delaware 65
55
65
55
01/17/96 no action 01/17/96 no action
District of Columbia n/a
55
n/a
25
no action no action no action no action
Florida 70
65
70
65
04/08/96 04/08/96 04/08/96 04/08/96
Georgia 70
65
65
65
07/01/96 07/01/96 07/01/96 07/01/96
Hawaii 60
50
45
45
no action no action no action no action
Idaho 75;
trucks: 65
75
65
65
05/01/96 05/01/96 05/01/96 05/01/96
Illinois 65;
trucks: 55
55
65
55
01/25/96 no action 01/25/96 no action
Indiana 70;
trucks: 65
55
60
55
07/01/05 no action 07/01/05 no action
Iowa 70
55
70
55
07/01/05 no action 07/01/05 no action
Kansas 70
70
70
65
03/07/96 03/07/96 03/07/96 03/07/96
Kentucky 65; 70 on specified segments of road2
65
65
55
no action no action no action no action
Louisiana 70
70
70
65
08/15/97 08/15/97 08/15/97 08/15/97
Maine 65
65
65
60
06/12/87 06/12/87 06/12/87 06/12/87
Maryland 65
65
65
55
07/01/95 08/01/96 08/01/96 no action
Massachusetts 65
65
65
55
01/05/92 01/29/96 01/29/96 no action
Michigan 70 (trucks 60); <70 (trucks 55)
65
70
55
08/01/96 08/01/96 08/01/96 no action
Minnesota 70
65
65
55
07/01/97 07/01/97 07/01/97 no action
Mississippi 70
70
70
65
02/29/96 02/29/96 02/29/96 02/29/96
Missouri 70
60
70
65
03/13/96 03/13/96 03/13/96 03/13/96
Montana 75;
trucks: 65
65
day: 70; night: 65
day: 70; night: 65
05/28/99 05/28/99 05/28/99 05/28/99
Nebraska 75
65
65
60
09/01/96 09/01/96 09/01/96 09/01/96
Nevada 75
65
70
70
12/08/95 12/08/95 12/08/95 12/08/95
New Hampshire 65
65
55
55
04/16/87 05/29/96 no action no action
New Jersey 65
55
65
55
01/19/98 no action 01/19/98 no action
New Mexico 75
75
65
55
05/15/96 no action 05/15/96 no action
New York 65
65
65
55
08/01/95 07/16/96 07/16/96 no action
North Carolina 70
70
70
55
08/05/96 08/05/96 10/01/96 no action
North Dakota 75
75
70
65
08/01/03 08/01/03 08/01/03 08/01/03
Ohio 65;
trucks: 55; 65 on Ohio Turnpike
65
55
55
07/15/87 07/28/96 no action no action
Oklahoma 75
70
70
70
08/29/96 08/29/96 08/29/96 08/29/96
Oregon 65;
trucks: 55
55
55
55
06/27/87 no action no action no action
Pennsylvania 65
55
65
55
07/13/95 no action 05/10/96 no action
Rhode Island 65
55
55
55
05/12/96 no action no action no action
South Carolina 70
70
60
55
04/30/99 04/30/99 04/30/99 no action
South Dakota 75
75
70
70
04/01/96 04/01/96 07/01/05 07/01/05
Tennessee 70
70
70
65
03/25/98 05/15/01 05/15/01 05/15/01
Texas cars:3 75 day; 65 night
trucks: 70 day; 65 night
day: 70; night: 65
day: 75; night: 65
day: 60; night: 55
no action 09/01/99 09/01/99 09/01/99
Utah 754
65
75
65
05/01/96 05/01/96 05/01/96 05/01/96
Vermont 65
55
50
50
04/21/87 no action no action no action
Virginia 655
655
65
55
07/01/88 07/01/01 02/13/96 no action
Washington 70;
trucks: 60
60
60
60
03/15/96 03/15/96 03/15/96 03/15/96
West Virginia 70
55
65
55
08/25/97 no action 08/25/97 no action
Wisconsin 65
65
65
55
06/17/87 08/01/96 08/01/96 no action
Wyoming 75
60
65
65
12/08/95 12/08/95 12/08/95 12/08/95

1Upon completion of a study, due to be completed on or before 09/15/08, the speed limit on any 2-lane highway or 4-lane highway shall be increased to 65 miles per hour if the findings of the study support the increase on a particular 2-lane highway or 4-lane highway.

2Effective 06/25/07, the speed limit may be increased to 70 mph on specific segments of highway upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation. On 07/10/07, highway officials increased the speed from 65 mph to 70 mph on Interstate 75 south of US 42, Interstate 71 west to the split to Louisville, and portions of Boone Carroll, Gallatin, and Grant Counties.

3In sections of I-10 and I-20 in rural West Texas, the speed limit for passenger cars and light trucks is 80 mph and the speed limit for large trucks is 70 in the daytime, 65 at night.

4Effective May 5, 2008 the portion of I-15 between milepost 222 and milepost 64 may be posted with a speed limit of more than 75 if warranted by a safety study and a consideration of roadway geometry and population density.

5Effective 07/01/06, the posted limit on I-85 may be as high as 70 mph.

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1005 N. Glebe Road, Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22201 USA | tel 703/247-1500 | fax 703/247-1588