I was wondering, which states have roads with speed limits of 70 mph or more in urban areas?
The ones that come to my mind off the top of my head are Colorado, Florida, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Texas.
Green Bay freeways except WI 172 have 70 MPH limits, plus WI 54/57 and WI 29 increase speed limits from 65 to 70 as one approaches the city.
Virginia has one segment that might qualify—the I-66 HO/T lanes outside the Beltway have a 70-mph speed limit for their entire length. But that's the only place in Virginia, and it doesn't apply to the entire road (the general-purpose lanes are posted at 55, 60, and 65 mph for various parts of the same stretch of highway). So I wouldn't count Virginia for the list.
Some freeways in Detroit city limits have 70 mph limits. I-75 north of I-94 for example. And in the metro area itself, outside Detroit, most freeways are 70 mph.
I-276 in the Philly suburbs comes to mind posted at 70.
Michigan (Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids)
Illinois has has a couple:
- I-90/Jane Adams Tollway is 70 in the Rockford area and stays 70 until near O'Hare
- I-55 and I-74 are 70 around Bloomington-Normal
- When there was not any construction, I-57 was 70 through Kankakee and the Champaign-Urbana area.
- I-280 stays at 70 through Rock Island (compared to the 65 mph posted it gets in Iowa, or compared to I-80 in Iowa around the Quad Cities)
The Indiana Toll Road is 70 through at least part of Gary.
In Missouri I-229 is 70 east/south of 6th Street.
In Nebraska US 75/Kennedy Freeway could qualify - it stays 70 until north of Chandler Road (https://maps.app.goo.gl/QRSFqhZ9eCNckJ3e8)
Doesn't I-39/I-90 stay at 70 through Madison, WI?
To the extent that Missoula, Montana is an urban area, I-90 has an 80 mph limit through there. I couldn't get the hotel in Downtown that I wanted so I had to get the Motel 6 one exit away. So I had to enter the freeway and accelerate to 80 just to get off at the next exit. Later I had to do 80 on twisty mountain roads around triple trailers. 80 isn't as fun as I thought it would be.
Quote from: Big John on July 02, 2024, 06:05:55 PMGreen Bay freeways except WI 172 have 70 MPH limits, plus WI 54/57 and WI 29 increase speed limits from 65 to 70 as one approaches the city.
Also in Wisconsin, the 70 MPH on I-94 starts/ends at Moorland Rd in Brookfield, which is still technically urban. And all of the interstate multiplex in the Madison area is all 70 MPH.
The Florida Turnpike has 70 throughout the Greater Orlando which has parts urban. In fact one part was 55 during the 65 max days due to the 65 placement only allowed in sparsely populated areas.
I-565 gets pretty deep into Huntsville, AL, before the speed limit drops from 70 down to 65 where the viaduct through downtown begins.
I-15 on at least the south side of the Wasatch Front, including in Provo and even approaching downtown SLC, is 70.
NY doesn't post 70 mph, but if you consider that 65 mph is their equivalent of 70+ mph in other states, there are quite a few examples, including:
- NY Thruway in Syracuse area
- NY/I-690 from western terminus to Solvay
- NY 5/NY 695 in Camillus/Fairmount
- I-490 from Exit 25 to NY Thruway
Plus a bunch more that are kind of fringe urban, like I-490 west of Exit 6, NY 531, NY 400, and I-190 on Grand Island. And 65 mph could easily be justified on I-290 based on some of these other examples.
In New Jersey where, 65 is the 70 there, has 65 mph on I-78 west of Exit 56 in Newark. That particular stretch of I-78 from the industrial area of Newark to the industrial areas of Hillside/ Union s highly urbanized above the freeway cut.
I think we should be careful with "65 is the 70 there" because states with 70 tend to also post 65 (in fact, a few can be frustratingly stingy with 70, like NH, MD, PA, or both Carolinas). It does not follow that if NY or NJ were to raise their maximum speed limit that all of those 65 zones would go up to 70.
Quote from: vdeane on July 05, 2024, 08:38:45 PMI think we should be careful with "65 is the 70 there" because states with 70 tend to also post 65 (in fact, a few can be frustratingly stingy with 70, like NH, MD, PA, or both Carolinas). It does not follow that if NY or NJ were to raise their maximum speed limit that all of those 65 zones would go up to 70.
I agree with that, certainly not all of NY's 65 zones would be raised to 70 mph. In fact one could argue that the Thruway is the only road in the state that
truly needs to be higher than 65. Though 70 would also be great on parts of I-81, I-84, I-86, and the Northway, they'd likely end up with 65 zones before and after the 70 zones, so I'd rather they remain 65 than flip-flop in a manner that's hard to keep track of.
Calling 65 the 70 of NY was more a case of that being what we're stuck with since they don't post anything higher, but it is nice that it is used somewhat liberally in suburban/exurban areas.
CA 99 hits 70 MPH north of Shaw Avenue in Fresno.
Quote from: webny99 on July 05, 2024, 06:10:24 PMNY doesn't post 70 mph, but if you consider that 65 mph is their equivalent of 70+ mph in other states,
How 'bout no.
Quote from: epzik8 on July 05, 2024, 05:20:10 PMI-15 on at least the south side of the Wasatch Front, including in Provo and even approaching downtown SLC, is 70.
Very, very little Interstate mileage in Utah is posted at less than 70 MPH. This includes urban mileage. Sub-70 Interstates are basically limited to I-70 over the San Rafael Swell and I-80 between I-15 and Echo. Heck, I have seen 75-80 MPH work zone limits with "work zone" plaques in Utah. Conversely, Utah won't post a non-Interstate higher than 65, so your best rural US Route will never be posted at a higher speed limit than what currently exists in downtown Salt Lake.
California is fun with this. Despite being relatively stingy with 70 MPH limits by western standards, you're unlikely to find a limit below 65 on a divided highway that isn't an urban or suburban arterial, including substandard city center freeways. But I-5 has a few spots with 70 in relatively dense suburban areas north of Tracy, including within the city limits of Lathrop and Woodland.
Idaho, I-84 on the east side of Boise is 80 MPH east of Broadway Avenue, which means that the easternmost Boise exit is in an 80 zone, and 80 MPH extends into city limits.
Nevada, despite being an 80/70 state, will not post above 65 in the urban areas of Reno, Las Vegas, Carson City, or Elko. The only incorporated city in Nevada with a limit of 80 MPH is West Wendover. Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Wells, and Mesquite have 75 MPH within city limits and near the downtown areas, Fernley has 70. Boulder City has 75 within its limits, but this is a technicality as its city limits extend halfway to Searchlight along US 95.
I-49 is 70 MPH throughout the ever-expanding Northwest Arkansas metro.
For Tennessee, the speed limits tend to drop to 55-65 mph as you enter the urban areas around Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
However, all of the interstates (8-10 lane urban freeways) feeding into downtown Nashville stay at 70 mph deep into the suburbs. The speed limits don't drop to 65 mph until just a few miles outside the city core.
Knoxville used to be the polar opposite, with 55 mph posted for what seemed like probably a dozen miles in either direction going away from downtown, but they recently raised most of that to 65 mph (and 60 mph on I-40 through downtown).
North Carolina is interesting... the mainline interstates (I-85, I-40, I-73, etc.) drop to 65 mph several miles outside the Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte beltways (I-540/NC-540; I-840/I-73/I-85; I-485), however the beltways themselves are all posted at 70 mph.
The only exception would be I-87 in Raleigh, which is posted at 70 mph all the way to the inner beltway (I-440), and I believe I-40 has a few miles inside the soon-to-be-completed NC-540 interchange at US-70 (future I-42) posted at 70 mph before dropping to 65 mph.
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2024, 06:10:50 PMVirginia has one segment that might qualify—the I-66 HO/T lanes outside the Beltway have a 70-mph speed limit for their entire length. But that's the only place in Virginia, and it doesn't apply to the entire road (the general-purpose lanes are posted at 55, 60, and 65 mph for various parts of the same stretch of highway). So I wouldn't count Virginia for the list.
Although it feels like a rural interstate, the northern portion of I-295 between either end of I-64 passes through miles of Richmond suburbs. That highway is posted at 70 mph throughout with the exception of a few miles around I-95.
A bit more questionable, but I-81 maintains its 70 mph speed limits through Bristol and Winchester, which is interesting considering its hard drops to 60 mph near Roanoke and Harrisonburg, and 65 mph zone near Staunton.
Virginia is very generous with 70 mph speed limits in rural areas, with the strange exception of I-77 south of I-81, however you are correct that they shy away from them for the most part near urban areas, generally sticking with 55 mph and 60 mph, and sometimes 65 mph - and is inconsistent at times which of the three gets used.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on July 02, 2024, 05:53:39 PMI was wondering, which states have roads with speed limits of 70 mph or more in urban areas?
The ones that come to my mind off the top of my head are Colorado...
Define "urban" in this case. The closest I'd say we have is E-470 down in Parker. And that's most certainly suburban.
Michigan does in a lot of urban areas.
Quote from: epzik8 on July 05, 2024, 05:20:10 PMI-15 on at least the south side of the Wasatch Front, including in Provo and even approaching downtown SLC, is 70.
From what I remember, the high speed limit coming down from the north was further into urbanized area than one would think, too.
Either way, I-15's a good one.
Quote from: cl94 on July 06, 2024, 12:36:21 AMHeck, I have seen 75-80 MPH work zone limits with "work zone" plaques in Utah.
This is how some people here in Maryland read our 65 MPH work zone signs.
I remember that US 75 in Dallas is posted at 70 mph. I caught the sign on my YouTube video of going from the Margret Hunt Hill Bridge to the Central Expressway.
Look at 3:51
Quote from: cl94 on July 06, 2024, 12:36:21 AMNevada, despite being an 80/70 state, will not post above 65 in the urban areas of Reno, Las Vegas, Carson City, or Elko. The only incorporated city in Nevada with a limit of 80 MPH is West Wendover. Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Carlin, Wells, and Mesquite have 75 MPH within city limits and near the downtown areas, Fernley has 70. Boulder City has 75 within its limits, but this is a technicality as its city limits extend halfway to Searchlight along US 95.
I was going to post something to this effect, but then started thinking that it comes down to how you define "urban".
NDOT, in their state-maintained highways log, makes the distinction if a route is located in an "urban" or "small urban" area, with the 'urban' areas being the areas with population over 50k (Las Vegas Valley, Reno/Sparks, Carson City) and 'small urban' generally being the smaller incorporated cities. No Nevada freeway with 'urban' mileage is posted higher than 65, but a good chunk of the 'small urban' freeway mileage is posted higher if adjacent stretches are also posted higher.
Quote from: epzik8 on July 06, 2024, 04:15:16 PMQuote from: cl94 on July 06, 2024, 12:36:21 AMHeck, I have seen 75-80 MPH work zone limits with "work zone" plaques in Utah.
This is how some people here in Maryland read our 65 MPH work zone signs.
Or the 45mph Work Zone Speed Limits on the NJ Turnpike...
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2024, 10:33:43 PMCA 99 hits 70 MPH north of Shaw Avenue in Fresno.
I-580 has 70 MPH posted inside Alameda County. I believe that CASR-14 and I-15 both post 70 MPH inside LA county. I-5 also is posted 70 MPH in two different places (north and south) inside Sacramento County and Just inside (like the north 1 km) of Stockton city limits.
I-75/I-64 in Lexington Kentucky
SM-G996U
Since no one has really answered it, are we just saying 70 mph in an MSA?
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 07, 2024, 01:03:34 PMSince no one has really answered it, are we just saying 70 mph in an MSA?
Nah, that falls apart in the west. Saying 70 MPH in Gerlach, NV or Mountain Pass, CA counts as "urban" is really stretching the definition of "urban", even though both are technically in an MSA.
Quote from: cl94 on July 07, 2024, 03:01:07 PMQuote from: JayhawkCO on July 07, 2024, 01:03:34 PMSince no one has really answered it, are we just saying 70 mph in an MSA?
Nah, that falls apart in the west. Saying 70 MPH in Gerlach, NV or Mountain Pass, CA counts as "urban" is really stretching the definition of "urban", even though both are technically in an MSA.
Agreed, so where are these 70 mph speed limits in actual urban areas? OP mentioned Colorado in the first post, but there's certainly nothing urban about any areas surrounding a 70 mph highway. Similar with Kansas and North Dakota.
While Texas has already been mentioned, I am still in shock over the 75mph express lanes in Dallas/Ft Worth, even in the downtown areas!
Quote from: sprjus4 on July 06, 2024, 02:55:58 AMQuote from: 1995hoo on July 02, 2024, 06:10:50 PMVirginia has one segment that might qualify—the I-66 HO/T lanes outside the Beltway have a 70-mph speed limit for their entire length. But that's the only place in Virginia, and it doesn't apply to the entire road (the general-purpose lanes are posted at 55, 60, and 65 mph for various parts of the same stretch of highway). So I wouldn't count Virginia for the list.
Although it feels like a rural interstate, the northern portion of I-295 between either end of I-64 passes through miles of Richmond suburbs. That highway is posted at 70 mph throughout with the exception of a few miles around I-95.
...
I tend to view that part of the Richmond area as having less urban of a feel than the portion of the DC suburbs served by I-66, which is why I didn't mention it before.
Quote from: michravera on July 07, 2024, 12:31:25 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2024, 10:33:43 PMCA 99 hits 70 MPH north of Shaw Avenue in Fresno.
I-580 has 70 MPH posted inside Alameda County. I believe that CASR-14 and I-15 both post 70 MPH inside LA county. I-5 also is posted 70 MPH in two different places (north and south) inside Sacramento County and Just inside (like the north 1 km) of Stockton city limits.
I-15 in Temecula almost all the way to CA 91 is 70mph. (The section starts in San Diego county, but Deer Springs is fairly rural even though it's not far from Escondido.)
Massachusetts doesn't sign 70. For 65 in urban areas, they aren't common but not unheard of. Part of I-93 south of Route 128 remains 65 until Medford. I-90 also doesn't drop at all near Springfield. That might be it. Tons of suburban areas have 65 but that doesn't really count.
Texas is funny. Some roads are 70 close to the city centers and some aren't. In 1997 San Antonio was posted 70 on I-35 very close to Downtown. I don't know about now, as TexDOT has been lowering maximum limits like on I-10 east of Houston as it was 75 in 2012 and now it's either 65 or 70.
Quote from: roadman65 on November 19, 2024, 04:24:43 PMTexas is funny. Some roads are 70 close to the city centers and some aren't. In 1997 San Antonio was posted 70 on I-35 very close to Downtown. I don't know about now, as TexDOT has been lowering maximum limits like on I-10 east of Houston as it was 75 in 2012 and now it's either 65 or 70.
All of the corridor between Houston and Beaumont is 65 now for some reason, and a longer section through downtown Beaumont was recently lowered to... 55... :-/
Sammy Hagar intensifiesIt then incrementally increases east of there back to 75. This obviously does not include the extensive work zone speed limits, such as the long 55 zone through the widening.
Part of these are a remnant of the old environmental speed limits Texas had, but many portions were recently decreased in 2022-2023 for "safety reasons." :eyebrow:
Quote from: ElishaGOtis on November 19, 2024, 08:23:14 PMAll of the corridor between Houston and Beaumont is 65 now for some reason, and a longer section through downtown Beaumont was recently lowered to... 55... :-/ Sammy Hagar intensifies
It then incrementally increases east of there back to 75. This obviously does not include the extensive work zone speed limits, such as the long 55 zone through the widening.
Funny to encounter a discussion of Beaumont speed limits. I got a speeding ticket on I-10 there, on a cross country trip back in the 1990s. Two days later, I got another on I-10 in Beaumont, CA. Expensive trip.
BTW, you have a good name for a Texas sheriff in a movie.
It depends on how "urban" you want to define things, but Maryland has I-70 at 70mph through Hagerstown.
Quote from: Rothman on July 06, 2024, 09:43:22 AMQuote from: epzik8 on July 05, 2024, 05:20:10 PMI-15 on at least the south side of the Wasatch Front, including in Provo and even approaching downtown SLC, is 70.
From what I remember, the high speed limit coming down from the north was further into urbanized area than one would think, too.
Either way, I-15's a good one.
Late response to this, but there are no sub-70 limits on I-15 in the entire state. The Wasatch Front on 15 is 70 mph from Spanish Fork to just north of Ogden. The 80 limits start when you get past Brigham City going north or past Santaquin going south.
Quote from: cl94 on July 06, 2024, 12:36:21 AMVery, very little Interstate mileage in Utah is posted at less than 70 MPH. This includes urban mileage. Sub-70 Interstates are basically limited to I-70 over the San Rafael Swell and I-80 between I-15 and Echo. Heck, I have seen 75-80 MPH work zone limits with "work zone" plaques in Utah. Conversely, Utah won't post a non-Interstate higher than 65, so your best rural US Route will never be posted at a higher speed limit than what currently exists in downtown Salt Lake.
To elaborate, the only sub-70 interstate speed limits in Utah are:
- I-80, near Redwood eastbound to I-15 in SLC
- I-80, I-215 east interchange in SLC to Wanship
- I-215, near I-80 east interchange
- I-84, US 89 near Ogden to Mountain Green
- I-70, Clear Creek Summit
- I-70, Emigrant Pass/Salina Summit
- I-70, east side of San Rafael Swell (only 60 mph interstate limit in Utah)
US-131 in Grand Rapids, MI never goes below 70mph straight through downtown, even with a 50mph curve it's still posted 70mph.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 07, 2024, 03:04:44 PMAgreed, so where are these 70 mph speed limits in actual urban areas? OP mentioned Colorado in the first post, but there's certainly nothing urban about any areas surrounding a 70 mph highway. Similar with Kansas and North Dakota.
The only Kansas freeways in areas that I would consider urban (downtown Topeka, central Wichita, and the eastern edge of KCK) have speed limits of 55 or 60 MPH. Any freeways with 65 or 70 speed limits are in suburban, exurban, or rural areas. Keep in mind that I am using a typological definition of urban versus suburban, not the concept of central city versus neighboring city, since many central cities have large areas within their boundaries that are typologically suburban.
Quote from: freebrickproductions on July 05, 2024, 05:05:35 PMI-565 gets pretty deep into Huntsville, AL, before the speed limit drops from 70 down to 65 where the viaduct through downtown begins.
Still weird to me that people do 75-85 in the 70 zone, 75 in the 55 (current construction) zone, but 50-55 in the 65 zone, and somewhere between 40-60 up Chapman Mountain (posted at 65).
No consistency.
Quote from: formulanone on December 06, 2024, 09:37:38 AMQuote from: freebrickproductions on July 05, 2024, 05:05:35 PMI-565 gets pretty deep into Huntsville, AL, before the speed limit drops from 70 down to 65 where the viaduct through downtown begins.
Still weird to me that people do 75-85 in the 70 zone, 75 in the 55 (current construction) zone, but 50-55 in the 65 zone, and somewhere between 40-60 up Chapman Mountain (posted at 65).
No consistency.
Ugh, that would drive me crazy! I'm the opposite, I like to be consistent to a fault, always aiming to go the same speed in all roads of a given speed limit unless roadway geometry, weather, or the cars in front of me demand otherwise.
Depending on your definition of "urban", I-5 in California is 70 right up to the Redding city limits on the south side of town, including through the suburbs. Most of California drops to 65 at the hint of people nearby, but District 2 is quite liberal with its application of 70 (and 60-65 on surface roads, for that matter).
I-85 is 70 mph through much of Gwinnett County northeast of Atlanta, which is decidedly suburban and high-traffic in character especially south of the junction with 316.