Best speed limits in states you've driven in

[Ketchup99]

What states (that you've driven in) have the best speed limits?

I'll start. I've driven in PA, NY, NJ, CT, MD, WV, and VA. (Unfortunately, for now, that's all.) I'd put them in this order (best to worst):

- West Virginia
- Virginia
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- New York
- Connecticut

Yours?

[Max Rockatansky]

Oregon is the worst by a mile out west given how absurdly slow it can be.  I do like the 70 MPH speed limits on a lot of Nevada US Routes given they are actually appropriate for the design of the road.

[michravera]

Oregon is the worst by a mile out west given how absurdly slow it can be.  I do like the 70 MPH speed limits on a lot of Nevada US Routes given they are actually appropriate for the design of the road.

In Oregon they post 65 MPH speed limits on I-5 and everyone follows them. In California, they post 70 MPH and people drive faster. Texas does the best of any state in which I have driven. Nevada is pretty good as well. Reasonable laws that are largely followed are probably better than unreasonable laws that are largely ignored.

[JoePCool14]

Out of the states I'm most commonly in here in the Midwest, Michigan is probably the best. You get up to 75 on I-75 (heh) when you start to get further north, otherwise it is mostly 70 downstate, unless the road design is genuinely insufficient for that speed (ex. I-196 west of US-131 in Grand Rapids). The two-lane roads have okay limits IIRC.

Illinois has them generally set too slow. I don't think any two-lane road in the state can have a limit above 55, which is stupid. Many of the highways in Chicagoland have limits arbitrarily low at 55 still. I also find that even surface streets in my area have them set too low.

Wisconsin seems acceptable in comparison, but I think it varies a lot by region.

[US 89]

Wyoming is pretty good for a western state with their 80 mph interstate speeds and 70 mph limits on many/most 2-lane rural highways. Same goes for Montana.

Colorado's are generally a bit too low relative to states nearby but nothing like the eastern US. Also their nanny limits on mountain roads are annoying.

Utah is nice with its rural 80 and urban 70 limits on most interstates, but the refusal to post anything above 65 on any non-interstate, including 2-lane roads and freeways both, can get annoying.

Idaho is fine but they really stretch the definition of "urban"  when setting interstate speed limits, which are capped at 65 in those areas. I-15 does not need to drop all the way from 80 to 65 through Pocatello.

[webny99]

Idaho is fine but they really stretch the definition of "urban"  when setting interstate speed limits, which are capped at 65 in those areas. I-15 does not need to drop all the way from 80 to 65 through Pocatello.

Oh, man... PA does the same thing, except their urban speed limit is only 55 mph. The 55 mph zone on I-90 through Erie is truly painful. Traffic normally does 65-70 and it still feels like you're crawling. Here is an example of what it's like.

[Crown Victoria]

Idaho is fine but they really stretch the definition of "urban"  when setting interstate speed limits, which are capped at 65 in those areas. I-15 does not need to drop all the way from 80 to 65 through Pocatello.

Oh, man... PA does the same thing, except their urban speed limit is only 55 mph. The 55 mph zone on I-90 through Erie is truly painful. Traffic normally does 65-70 and it still feels like you're crawling. Here is an example of what it's like.

Don't forget PA's 55 mph zones for substandard rural freeways, examples being much of free I-70 and I-78 between Lenhartsville and Fogelsville (the Berks County portion currently being reconstructed and the Lehigh County part planned). This is inconsistent though as much of I-83 meets the same standards but is signed at 65 mph, and the PA Turnpike NE Extension is at 70 mph with practically no inside shoulder. In all cases cars are usually doing 70-80 mph with trucks 65-70 mph, regardless of the posted limits or standards of construction.


As far as states I've traveled in, Tennessee does well with their limits, with 70 mph well into urban areas. The Virginias aren't too bad either. Connecticut, however...45 mph on I-84 in Waterbury? Really?
Tennessee: https://www.google.com/maps/@36.0769524,-86.6943952,3a,75y,336.11h,81.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1su4TMf5ENCKOL8MeWBW8BdQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

Connecticut:  https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5511142,-73.0557175,3a,75y,101.21h,82.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIfanfeMXEukFXBpjEHAuYA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

[democratic nole]

Nevada's 80 mph speed limit on rural portions of I-15 and I-80 are fantastic. I've always thought Colorado did a reasonable job with their speed limits. Most rural interstates are 75 and people seem to not cruise in the left-lane, so the traffic flows fairly well.

[hotdogPi]

My main experience with NY (I-88 → NY 206 → NY 79 → NY 96B → NY 17 → I-88) is that they post 55 everywhere on surface roads, while Massachusetts would probably post 35 for the same road due to the twists and turns.

[Revive 755]

Wisconsin seems acceptable in comparison, but I think it varies a lot by region.

Wisconsin needs to allow two lane roads to be posted above 55.  Part of the Milwaukee area, I-894 in particular, could also be higher than 55.


Missouri is decent, with some two lane roads being posted at 65, however they don't always post higher quality expressways at 70 (US 60 between Poplar Bluff and Sikeston), and some of the urban 60 mph sections drag on too long.


Nebraska is fairly decent now with I-80 at 75, other four lane roads at 70, and rural two lane state highways at 65.  Could use to allow county roads be higher though - seems wrong that the speed limit goes down just because a state highway is decommissioned (old US 77 south of Wahoo being an example).

[JayhawkCO]

I've always thought Colorado did a reasonable job with their speed limits. Most rural interstates are 75 and people seem to not cruise in the left-lane, so the traffic flows fairly well.

I would agree, although I feel like the 55 zone north of downtown Denver goes for a little too long and could be bumped up to 65 pretty quickly after passing US36.  I-76 and I-70 east of Denver (and maybe I-25 from Pueblo to Trinidad) could go up to 80, but I doubt that happens anytime soon.

Chris

[Caps81943]

Idaho is fine but they really stretch the definition of "urban"  when setting interstate speed limits, which are capped at 65 in those areas. I-15 does not need to drop all the way from 80 to 65 through Pocatello.

Oh, man... PA does the same thing, except their urban speed limit is only 55 mph. The 55 mph zone on I-90 through Erie is truly painful. Traffic normally does 65-70 and it still feels like you're crawling. Here is an example of what it's like.

Don't forget PA's 55 mph zones for substandard rural freeways, examples being much of free I-70 and I-78 between Lenhartsville and Fogelsville (the Berks County portion currently being reconstructed and the Lehigh County part planned). This is inconsistent though as much of I-83 meets the same standards but is signed at 65 mph, and the PA Turnpike NE Extension is at 70 mph with practically no inside shoulder. In all cases cars are usually doing 70-80 mph with trucks 65-70 mph, regardless of the posted limits or standards of construction.

That 55 section from the Maryland line to the Turnpike is downright painful.

[webny99]

My main experience with NY (I-88 → NY 206 → NY 79 → NY 96B → NY 17 → I-88) is that they post 55 everywhere on surface roads, while Massachusetts would probably post 35 for the same road due to the twists and turns.

Yes, NY is good about defaulting to 55 mph in rural areas, but not suburban or urban ones. Part of this is because MA is more densely-populated, and much of it would probably qualify as suburban by NY standards.

[sprjus4]

Gotta give this one to Texas... I don't think it requires any explanation.

[TXtoNJ]

Nebraska is fairly decent now with I-80 at 75, other four lane roads at 70, and rural two lane state highways at 65.  Could use to allow county roads be higher though - seems wrong that the speed limit goes down just because a state highway is decommissioned (old US 77 south of Wahoo being an example).

To me, I-80 in Nebraska ought to be 80 mph west of US 81, but that's about it.

[JoePCool14]

Wisconsin seems acceptable in comparison, but I think it varies a lot by region.

Wisconsin needs to allow two lane roads to be posted above 55.  Part of the Milwaukee area, I-894 in particular, could also be higher than 55.

The two-lane issue definitely crossed my mind. Wisconsin is probably only slightly better than Illinois, maybe. I won't say anything about I-894 though. I've driven it a few times recently, and I felt like it was a chaotic rat race, at least in the east-west section. It's probably okay at 55 in its current state.

[1995hoo]

Of the states in which I have driven often enough to have a valid opinion–which seems to me to be what the thread's subject line envisions–I'd have to say Florida, mainly because I think they're more reasonable about urban and suburban speed limits than a lot of other East Coast states. I can think of multiple segments of suburban Interstates in Florida that are posted at 70 mph but would be posted at 55 mph in many other East Coast states.

I don't feel that I've done enough driving west of the Mississippi to be able to have a valid comment about states there, although I liked having 65-mph speed limits on two-lane roads.

[jp the roadgeek]

My rankings:

Louisiana
Mississippi
West Virginia
Maryland
Maine
Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Vermont
Delaware (much improved now that I-95 is 65)
Virginia (allow radar detectors and this goes up)
New York (Raise the LIE to 65 and this improves drastically)
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
DC
Connecticut (some of the most RIDICULOUSLY slow urban and suburban speed limits)

[ran4sh]

GDOT is better now than it has been in the past, about 5-6 years ago they increased a lot of the urban and suburban freeway speed limits such as from 55 to 65, or from 65 to 70. The highest allowable speed limit remains at 70 though, which doesn't help rural freeways that may justify a higher speed.

And Georgia speed limits are definitely better than Carolina speed limits, both SC and NC. I'm not familiar enough with other states to make further comparisons though. Although as a teenager I did have the opportunity to drive Interstates in Texas the year they started posting 80 mph speed limits.

[ibthebigd]

Indiana could do a better job.

Kentucky has 55 MPH on several state and US highways that I barely feel comfortable going 45 on.

SM-G950U

[ftballfan]

Indiana could do a better job.

I-465, which is entirely 55 MPH, would have a 70 MPH speed limit in Michigan

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Minnesota is pretty average. 70 might be a bit slow on 90 and 94 west of St. Cloud especially if you're coming from the higher limits in the Dakotas, but I've never felt like it was too slow on I-35. 65 on at-grade expressways is fast enough. 60 on most rural state 2-laners thanks to state level intervention, and a bunch of urban 55 mileage has been pushed up to 60.

[jeffandnicole]

My rankings:

Louisiana
Mississippi
West Virginia
Maryland
Maine
Pennsylvania
New Hampshire
Vermont
Delaware (much improved now that I-95 is 65)
Virginia (allow radar detectors and this goes up)
New York (Raise the LIE to 65 and this improves drastically)
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
DC
Connecticut (some of the most RIDICULOUSLY slow urban and suburban speed limits)

Wouldn't the point of this thread be the states where we believe speed limits are appropriate? 

Then why would you care about using a radar detector if they're appropriate?

[thenetwork]

I've always thought Colorado did a reasonable job with their speed limits. Most rural interstates are 75 and people seem to not cruise in the left-lane, so the traffic flows fairly well.

I would agree, although I feel like the 55 zone north of downtown Denver goes for a little too long and could be bumped up to 65 pretty quickly after passing US36.  I-76 and I-70 east of Denver (and maybe I-25 from Pueblo to Trinidad) could go up to 80, but I doubt that happens anytime soon.

Chris

Colorado does a good job at keeping their speed limits as "safely" high as possible.  If there is a stretch of road that needs a slower limit (i.e. a winding stretch of road), they "temporarily" lower the speed in that immediate area before it returns to normal speeds.  In recent years, the have actually raised the limits in some areas to match the average speed (Much of Glenwood Canyon on I-70 is now 60 MPH).

Wyoming is an interesting state.  I recently drove US-191 from Utah to I-80.  They will put up a few Speed Limit 70 signs, but in most areas where you need to slow down (curves) to a safe speed, there were no signs except for *maybe* an advisory speed on a curve sign.

Utah has generous speed limits in most areas as.well.

[CoreySamson]

Gotta give this one to Texas... I don't think it requires any explanation.

Yup. Thread over. No other state really compares.