Highest speed limit for two lane road?

[J Route Z]

What is the highest speed limit for a 2-lane road in the US? My guess would be it's somewhere in desert territory.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I remember seeing a photo of a speed limit 75 sign on a two lane road somewhere in Western Texas. I believe that's as high as it gets.

[TEG24601]

65 on SR 240 along the Hanford Reservation in Eastern Washington.

[6a]

I've seen 65 in Alaska, but I think that's the statewide limit anyway.

[wxfree]

There are a bunch of 75s in Texas.  They're all over the state as a result of legislation in 2011.  That's gotta be the highest.  The 80 mph laws apply only to freeways.

[SSOWorld]

Texas holds the distinction of being the only US State to contain 2-lane roads that are have speed limits greater than 70.  They generally do not "discriminate" based on blue and red shields, lane count or population density for 75 mph speed limits so any road will have one.  There are exceptions (around Houston or Dallas for example) where they are lower even on freeways.  Houston's got a "ring of 65" around it.

80 and 85 on the other hand - 80 on I-10, I-20 in western TX only, 85 only on that lonely "wierd" (j/k) Austin toll road, SR 130.

[bing101]

55mph in California for rural 2 lane highways.

[dfwmapper]

Texas holds the distinction of being the only US State to contain 2-lane roads that are have speed limits greater than 70.  They generally do not "discriminate" based on blue and red shields, lane count or population density for 75 mph speed limits so any road will have one.  There are exceptions (around Houston or Dallas for example) where they are lower even on freeways.  Houston's got a "ring of 65" around it.

80 and 85 on the other hand - 80 on I-10, I-20 in western TX only, 85 only on that lonely "wierd" (j/k) Austin toll road, SR 130.

FYI, there are now 70mph limits on urban freeways in the Dallas area as a result of the repeal of the environmental speed limits and updated speed studies. US 75 now has a 70mph speed limit from Woodall Rodgers Freeway (the northern leg of the downtown Dallas loop) to the Plano city limits (drops to 60 there due to construction). It will eventually be 70 from downtown all the way north to the Collin/Grayson county line where it goes up to 75. Yes, this is crazy, and no, it isn't possible to actually drive that fast along most of the route during most daylight hours because of traffic. The way Texas's speed limit law is worded, only free-flow traffic counts, so roads like this that spend 70% of the hours in a week congested can still have higher limits, even when it doesn't make a lot of sense. Other freeways that only see congestion during typical rush hours (e.g. I-30 east of downtown) only have 65mph limits for some reason.

[Tarkus]

55mph in California for rural 2 lane highways.

Actually, many of California's 2-lane rural highways have 65mph speed limits, including this stretch of US-395.  Oddly enough, there's even quite a few city streets in Irvine that have speed limits of at least 60mph.

[thenetwork]

I haven't seen more than 65 on Colorado's two-laners.  Same with Utah.

[doorknob60]

Washington, Idaho and California's maximum is 65. Nevada and Montana are 70. Then there's Oregon...55.

[jakeroot]

I remember seeing a photo of a speed limit 75 sign on a two lane road somewhere in Western Texas. I believe that's as high as it gets.

There are a bunch of 75s in Texas.  They're all over the state as a result of legislation in 2011.  That's gotta be the highest.  The 80 mph laws apply only to freeways.

Here's one I found on Google...Terrell County, 2005:


Image courtesy of Houston Freeways

[rickmastfan67]

55mph is the highest on a 2-lane in PA.  I know that PA-68 has a few of these segments in Butler County.

[jeffandnicole]

NJ has a few 2 lane roads at 55.  You can probably count them with one hand, but they do exist.

[SSOWorld]

Very few if any 2-lane roads exist in states along or east of the Mississippi River that have higher than 55 mph limits - The only one (I'm aware of) in this group are Missouri (65), Minnesota (60 on select roads), Florida and Ohio.

Roads in New England are often not more than 50 mph.

Eastern Oregon's on the docket for getting 70 mph on 2-lanes (on Governor's desk) but my suspicion is that if passed, ODOT will not comply.

[Zzonkmiles]

Very few if any 2-lane roads exist in states along or east of the Mississippi River that have higher than 55 mph limits.

This.

I know 55 is the max in SC. The highest non-interstate speed is 60 in SC, and that's for four-lane roads that have a median.

Personally I'd be too uncomfortable to drive on a two-lane road much faster than 55 because a head-on collision with a sleepy or texting driver would not turn out so well.

[Mapmikey]

I know 55 is the max in SC. The highest non-interstate speed is 60 in SC, and that's for four-lane roads that have a median.

60 mph is also allowed on 4-lane roads with a center turn lane.  Also, US 123 between Clemson and Easley has a 65 mph speed limit, as does some of SC 22 and SC 31.

Mike

[roadman65]

Very few if any 2-lane roads exist in states along or east of the Mississippi River that have higher than 55 mph limits.

This.

I know 55 is the max in SC. The highest non-interstate speed is 60 in SC, and that's for four-lane roads that have a median.

Personally I'd be too uncomfortable to drive on a two-lane road much faster than 55 because a head-on collision with a sleepy or texting driver would not turn out so well.

Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and many out west states have 65 mph or ever greater on two lane roads.

Not much traffic out there, and even here in Florida we have 60 mph two lane rural roads and no problems with that either.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Kentucky's max is 55 for all non-freeway routes. It kinda sucks compared to Texas's speed limits. Of course Kentucky is very hilly and the AA highway (The best I can think of for a 2 lane road that could get a high limit) has alot of hills and mostly At-grade intersections (Except for an interchange with US 27 and an overpass near it)

[froggie]

They generally do not "discriminate" based on blue and red shields, lane count or population density for 75 mph speed limits so any road will have one.

As I recall, Texas does have a population density discrimination at the county level as to which counties the 75 MPH zones are allowed in.

[Rothman]

Although there are higher speed limits elsewhere, the 70 mph limits on 2-laners in Montana were the first that came to my mind.

[texaskdog]

Texas holds the distinction of being the only US State to contain 2-lane roads that are have speed limits greater than 70.  They generally do not "discriminate" based on blue and red shields, lane count or population density for 75 mph speed limits so any road will have one.  There are exceptions (around Houston or Dallas for example) where they are lower even on freeways.  Houston's got a "ring of 65" around it.

80 and 85 on the other hand - 80 on I-10, I-20 in western TX only, 85 only on that lonely "wierd" (j/k) Austin toll road, SR 130.

God Bless Texas

[texaskdog]

Although there are higher speed limits elsewhere, the 70 mph limits on 2-laners in Montana were the first that came to my mind.

So funny that a state that was "reasonable & prudent" is so low now

[J N Winkler]

As I recall, Texas does have a population density discrimination at the county level as to which counties the 75 MPH zones are allowed in.

Not any more.  There was a density ceiling when 75 was first rolled out on two-lane roads that had the effect of restricting it to the tumbleweed counties in southwestern Texas.  There was also a requirement to carry out an engineering study before upzoning a two-lane road for 75.  I don't know if the latter provision is still in force, but the density ceiling was later lifted, so there are now two-lane roads signed for 75 throughout the state.

Current practice (judging from an October 2014 transit of US 54 in the Panhandle) is to sign for 75 with 70 buffer zones around built-up areas.

[ekt8750]

NJ has a few 2 lane roads at 55.  You can probably count them with one hand, but they do exist.

70 through the Pine Barrens comes to mind.