Speed limits on non interstates

[Roadgeekteen]

In your state, are speed limits lower if a road is not an interstate? In MA non interstates are 65 but posting can be more stingy, as US 3 is proof of. What's the highest speed limit of an interstate in your state?

[wolfiefrick]

In Missouri, the statewide maximum is 70 mph. Most interstates are posted at 70 mph in rural parts of Missouri, but I'm not sure about other numbered roads.

On U.S. Route 50 in Missouri, the speed limit is 60 mph when it's two lanes, and 65 mph when it's a freeway. A speed limit of 60 mph is the highest limit of which I'm aware for two lane roads, but I may be wrong.

As for Missouri state highways, I think the limit is also 60 mph on two lane roadways, but the highest I've seen on non-freeways is 55 mph on Route 100 between Ellisville and Gray Summit. Supplemental highways (lettered routes) are probably capped at 55; the highest posted limit I've seen on a lettered highway is on Route NN in Jefferson County; the limit there is 55 mph.

I may be wrong on all these counts, but that's what I've seen in my state.

[bassoon1986]

Louisiana has a max of 55 on 2 lane highways and a max of 65 on a 4 lane divided highway. Interstate 49 is 75 mph in rural areas, but interstates are otherwise 70.


iPhone

[Revive 755]

Missouri has a few two lane roads posted at 65:

* Parts of US 63 between Rolla and US 60
* Parts of US 54 west of Lake of the Ozarks (been many years since I've been on this stretch, may be lower now).

There are also a few expressways posted at 70:

* A good amount of US 54 between Mexico and at least Jefferson City
* A good amount of US 63 between Jefferson City and some point I cannot recall south of Macon.
* MO 7 from I-49 eastward until the start of the slow stretch around Clinton.

Last time I checked, the state laws of Missouri capped lettered routes at 60.  I"m only aware of two that are posted this high:

* Route M in Jefferson County from west of I-55 to just around MO 21 (four lane expressway)
* Route A in Jefferson County

In Illinois only interstates are posted at 70 (I'm open to someone disproving this).  Four lane rural expressways and other freeways outside of Chicagoland are usually posted at 65, and any two lane road is posted at a widely disregarded 55.

Iowa seems to be the same as Illinois.

[wolfiefrick]

* Route M in Jefferson County from west of I-55 to just around MO 21 (four lane expressway)

Oh, right! I forgot about this stretch; I think this might be the only state lettered route in Missouri with grade separated exits. Correct me if my assumption is wrong. I've been meaning to drive it because it fascinates me that Missouri would designate an expressway designed to such high standards as a lettered route.

In Illinois only interstates are posted at 70 (I'm open to someone disproving this).

This is correct. Illinois raised their speed limit a few years back from 65 mph (a limit which was highly discredited). There's been talk of introducing legislature to raise Missouri's limit to 75 mph, which I'd be in favor of, considering that everyone drives 75 on most rural interstates in Missouri anyway. Drivers who adhere strictly to the speed limit are conflict points for the majority of the drivers who drive 75, and that causes accidents.

[wxfree]

Texas gives no special recognition for Interstates, or highway design, for speed limits.  I don't know if it's true, but Wickerpedia says "Texas is the only state that does not prescribe a different speed limit for each road type in its state or federal highway system."  About two months ago I drove on a 20 foot wide road with a speed limit of 75.  https://goo.gl/maps/EmehkGE3iSu  (That's old imagery, from March 2013.  By late August the new signs were up.)

The default speed limit on any rural state highway is 70.  The general maximum is 75.  A special provision allows for speed limits of 80 on parts of I-10 and I-20.  This is the highest Interstate speed limit.  Another separate provision allows for a speed limit as high as 85.  This part of the law has been used only on some of the toll roads around Austin, with limits of 80 and 85 where the maximum otherwise would be 75.

Toll authorities are subject to a maximum of 75.  Only TxDOT can set a higher speed limit, so only state highways under TxDOT's control can have limits of 80 or 85.

[Max Rockatansky]

70 MPH is the highest speed limit in California.  In the case of CA 99 and US 101 they essentially match the 65-70 MPH speed zones that the Interstates carry. 

In Arizona the Loop Freeways have a similar design to the Interstates.  The only reason they don't hit the 75 MPH limit the Interstates do is simply because they are in the Phoenix Metro Area.

[oscar]

Alaska reserves its 65 mph max limit for Interstates, including I-designated non-freeway routes. This might be a carryover from when the NMSL was in place but states were allowed to bump the 55 mph max to 65 mph just for Interstates. Nothing there really cries out for a higher limit, whether above 55 mph on non-Interstates or 65 on Interstates.

Hawaii's maximum (administrative, not statutory) is 60 mph, including for some stretches of Interstate freeway. But one heavily-modernized non-freeway route, HI 200 on the Big Island, recently got some 60 mph signs.

[Roadgeekteen]

Alaska reserves its 65 mph max limit for Interstates, including I-designated non-freeway routes. This might be a carryover from when the NMSL was in place but states were allowed to bump the 55 mph max to 65 mph just for Interstates. Nothing there really cries out for a higher limit, whether above 55 mph on non-Interstates or 65 on Interstates.

Hawaii's maximum (administrative, not statutory) is 60 mph, including for some stretches of Interstate freeway. But one heavily-modernized non-freeway route, HI 200 on the Big Island, recently got some 60 mph signs.

HI 200 has gone a long way since rental agencies didn't let you drive on it.

[jeffandnicole]

NJ doesn't care. 65 mph is the max limit for any roadway.

Plenty of maps and tables show this info.

[Great Lakes Roads]

In Indiana the following speed limits for interstates are:
- 70 mph is reserved for interstates in rural areas with 65 mph for trucks.
- 65 mph for urban areas on interstates with 60 mph for trucks.
- 55 mph in major urban areas (i.e. Gary, Indianapolis, Clarksville and Bloomington)

However, speed limits in Indiana on non-interstates are:
- 65 mph if it is a freeway (US 31, US 20, IN 641, and US 24)
- 60 mph on other 4-lane divided highways
- 55 mph on two-lane roads and undivided highways

[Roadgeekteen]

In Indiana the following speed limits for interstates are:
- 70 mph is reserved for interstates in rural areas with 65 mph for trucks.
- 65 mph for urban areas on interstates with 60 mph for trucks.
- 55 mph in major urban areas (i.e. Gary, Indianapolis, Clarksville and Bloomington)

However, speed limits in Indiana on non-interstates are:
- 65 mph if it is a freeway (US 31, US 20, IN 641, and US 24)
- 60 mph on other 4-lane divided highways
- 55 mph on two-lane roads and undivided highways

Why do they do that? Several Indiana non interstate freeways could be 70.

[GaryV]

Michigan has no difference for freeway speed limits based on the "branding" of the road.  M-14, US-23 and I-94 are all 70 mph. (3 freeways near each other with state, US and Interstate numbers.)

Some freeways in the northern* part of the state have a 75 mph speed limit - but again it doesn't depend on whether it's US or Interstate.  E.g. I-75 and US-127.  I don't believe there are any M-xx highways with 75 mph limit though, because the M-xx freeways are in the southern part of the state.

* - where "northern" starts is variable, not a fixed line of latitude

[Eth]

As far as I'm aware, only Interstates in Georgia can be 70. Otherwise 65 is the max for freeways. A few, but not many, rural expressways are also posted at 65; most are 55. Two-lane roads top out at 55.

[nexus73]

Oregon is 65 max on the westside and 70 max on the eastside for Interstate highways.  US 95 is just a 2-lane route but since it is so isolated and runs through a mostly empty SE Oregon, the limit there is 70. 

Rick

[kphoger]

From what I can tell, Kansas law authorizes 75 mph "on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by the secretary of transportation" [8-1558(2)], but I'm not aware of any non-Interstate highways with a speed limit higher than 70 mph in actuality.

Furthermore, county or township highways are capped at 55 mph [8-1558(3)].  Local authorities with jurisdiction over such county or township highways are allowed provision to increase that speed limit at their discretion, but even that is capped at 65 mph [8-1560(h)].  So I suppose there might exist somewhere a divided county highway with a 65-mph speed limit, but no higher.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN caps non-Interstate freeway/expressways at 65. Interstates can be 70.

[Roadgeekteen]

From what I can tell, Kansas law authorizes 75 mph "on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by the secretary of transportation" [8-1558(2)], but I'm not aware of any non-Interstate highways with a speed limit higher than 70 mph in actuality.

Furthermore, county or township highways are capped at 55 mph [8-1558(3)].  Local authorities with jurisdiction over such county or township highways are allowed provision to increase that speed limit at their discretion, but even that is capped at 65 mph [8-1560(h)].  So I suppose there might exist somewhere a divided county highway with a 65-mph speed limit, but no higher.

US 69?

[kphoger]

From what I can tell, Kansas law authorizes 75 mph "on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by the secretary of transportation" [8-1558(2)], but I'm not aware of any non-Interstate highways with a speed limit higher than 70 mph in actuality.

Furthermore, county or township highways are capped at 55 mph [8-1558(3)].  Local authorities with jurisdiction over such county or township highways are allowed provision to increase that speed limit at their discretion, but even that is capped at 65 mph [8-1560(h)].  So I suppose there might exist somewhere a divided county highway with a 65-mph speed limit, but no higher.

US 69?

You are correct, sir!  US-69 has sections of 75 mph.
I've never driven on those sections of US-69, and it hadn't occurred to me to check.

[J N Winkler]

From what I can tell, Kansas law authorizes 75 mph "on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by the secretary of transportation" [8-1558(2)], but I'm not aware of any non-Interstate highways with a speed limit higher than 70 mph in actuality.

There is:  US 81 north of I-70 to the K-106 Minneapolis exit (speed limit sign).  This is also a (possibly unique) length of non-Interstate freeway that is posted with the Interstate restrictions sign.  I believe (and Richie can confirm or correct, as appropriate) that there is a length of K-10 posted for 75 without the Interstate restrictions sign.

I know of no examples of divided highways posted for 75 that have flat intersections.

Furthermore, county or township highways are capped at 55 mph [8-1558(3)].  Local authorities with jurisdiction over such county or township highways are allowed provision to increase that speed limit at their discretion, but even that is capped at 65 mph [8-1560(h)].  So I suppose there might exist somewhere a divided county highway with a 65-mph speed limit, but no higher.

The two examples of county highway I know of that are posted for 65 are both undivided two-lane.  One is former K-14.  The other was probably never on the state highway system.

[MikieTimT]

From what I can tell, Kansas law authorizes 75 mph "on any separated multilane highway, as designated and posted by the secretary of transportation" [8-1558(2)], but I'm not aware of any non-Interstate highways with a speed limit higher than 70 mph in actuality.

Furthermore, county or township highways are capped at 55 mph [8-1558(3)].  Local authorities with jurisdiction over such county or township highways are allowed provision to increase that speed limit at their discretion, but even that is capped at 65 mph [8-1560(h)].  So I suppose there might exist somewhere a divided county highway with a 65-mph speed limit, but no higher.

US 69?

You are correct, sir!  US-69 has sections of 75 mph.
I've never driven on those sections of US-69, and it hadn't occurred to me to check.

Just drove it yesterday to come up to Gardner, KS where my brother-in-law lives.  Most everything north of Ft. Scott is limited access and grade separated, so it has a 75MPH limit.  They are working on south of Ft. Scott right now as well, but Ft. Scott would have to be bypassed and access roads put in between Ft. Scott and Arma to continue the limited access portions southward.

[Buck87]

In Ohio 70 mph is the maximum for both interstates and non interstates.

It's mostly limited to rural freeways, however, I know of at least one place where an expressway with at grade intersections is 70 mph (US 30 near Upper Sandusky)

[bzakharin]

NJ doesn't care. 65 mph is the max limit for any roadway.

Plenty of maps and tables show this info.

NJ driving manual claims that the highest speed on a non-Interstate is 55 (https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/license/drivermanual.pdf page 64). This is of course complete BS, and was never true (except when it was also true for Interstates).

[Ben114]

The highest non-freeway speed limit in MA probably has to be the 50 (maybe it's 55) on MA 140 between US 20 and MA 9 in Shrewsbury.

[epzik8]

Yes, entirely. Maryland's maximum Interstate speed limit is 70 MPH; the highest non-Interstate speed is 55, on certain divided highways, and on at least one two-way trafficway, which is Route 213 in southern Cecil County and portions of Kent County.