What is the speed limit on a highway outside town when no sign is posted, state by state?
Every state’s answer, and the District of Columbia’s, from its own manual or code: 42 have a rule on this, quoted below with where it is written; 9 say nothing on it.
Statutes fetched between 5 and 8 October 2026; manuals fetched between 6 September and 4 October 2026. How the answers are made
| State | The rule | Where it is written | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | The statutory speed limit in other locations not otherwise covered is 55 miles per hour. | Alabama Driver Manual, p.60 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Alaska | Where no other limit is posted, Alaska's speed limit on any other roadway is 55 mph. | Alaska Driver Manual, p.34 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Arizona | When no limit is posted, the speed limit on open highways or city freeways is 55 mph. | Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.40 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| California | Unless otherwise posted, the ideal maximum speed limit on most California highways is 65 mph. | California Driver’s Handbook, p.67 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Colorado | Unless otherwise posted, the Colorado speed limit on designated rural interstate and highways is 65 to 75 mph. | Colorado Driver Handbook, p.12 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Delaware | (a) Where no special hazard exists, the following speeds shall be lawful, but any speed in excess of such limits shall be absolute evidence that the speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful for all types of vehicles: (1) 25 miles per hour in any business district; (2) 20 or 25 miles per hour in any residence district, at the discretion of the agency owning the roadway; (3) 20 miles per hour at all school zones where 20 mph regulatory signs are posted and state the time periods or conditions during which the speed limit is in effect; such conditions may include when children are present or while 1 or more warning lights flash; (4) 50 miles per hour on 2-lane roadways; (5) 55 miles per hour on 4-lane roadways and on divided roadways. | Delaware law, 21 Del. C. § 4169(a) | 7 Oct 2026 |
| District of Columbia | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on ordinary highways is 30 to 50 miles per hour. | DC Driver Manual, p.80 | 16 Sep 2026 |
| Florida | Unless otherwise posted, the standard speed limit on Florida streets and highways is 55 MPH. | Official Florida Driver License Handbook, p.68 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Georgia | Where none of Georgia’s other general rules fits the road, and no sign says otherwise, the maximum speed is 55 miles per hour. | Georgia Driver's Manual, p.48 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Idaho | Vehicles shall not exceed 65 miles per hour on Idaho state highways, and 70 may be allowed where posted. | July 2026 Idaho Driver's Handbook, p.68 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Illinois | Unless a sign says otherwise, the Illinois speed limit is 55 mph on other highways and in rural areas. | Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.24 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Indiana | On a non-divided state highway, vehicles may not go faster than 55 mph or the posted limit. | Indiana Driver's Manual, p.41 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Iowa | Where no speed limit is posted, the limit on all primary roads is 60 mph. | Iowa Driver's License Manual, p.42 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kansas | Unless otherwise posted, the maximum Kansas speed on any state or federal highway is 65 mph. | Kansas Driving Handbook, p.16 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Kentucky | Where a Kentucky speed limit is not posted, 55 mph is the limit on all other state highways. | Kentucky Driver Manual, p.49 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Louisiana | A. No person shall operate a vehicle on any highway of this state in excess of fifty-five miles per hour, unless a lower maximum speed is posted on the highway, except as follows: (1) No person shall operate a vehicle on any interstate or controlled access highway of this state in excess of seventy miles per hour. (2) No person shall operate a vehicle on any multi-lane divided highway of this state which has partial or no control of access in excess of sixty-five miles per hour. (3) A person may operate a vehicle in excess of any maximum speed set forth in this Chapter within a speed zone established by the department as provided in R.S. 32:63(C). | Louisiana law, La. R.S. 32:61(A) | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Maine | Unless posted otherwise, the maximum speed in Maine outside a business, residential or built-up area is 45 mph. | Maine Driver’s License Manual, p.81 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | Where no other limit is set, the maximum speed elsewhere is 50 mph on undivided highways and 55 mph on divided highways. | Maryland law, Md. Code, Transp. § 21-801.1(b) | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Unless posted otherwise, your speed is not reasonable and proper above 50 mph on a highway outside a thickly settled or business district. | Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.79 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Michigan | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit is 55 mph on all streets that are not designated freeways and on all highways. | What Every Driver Must Know, p.26 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Minnesota | In any location the list does not name, the Minnesota speed limit is 55 mph. | Minnesota Driver’s Manual, p.26 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Mississippi | The maximum speed for a passenger car on a two-lane state or U.S. highway in Mississippi is 55 mph. | Mississippi Driver's License Manual, p.41 | 4 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | (4) All other roads and highways in this state not located in an urbanized area and not provided for in subdivisions (1) to (3) of this subsection, sixty miles per hour; | Missouri law, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 304.010(2)(4) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Montana | On Montana's two-lane highways, the daytime speed limit for cars and light trucks is 70 mph. | Montana Driver Manual, p.38 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nebraska | Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit on the state highway system, other than an expressway, super-two highway or freeway, is 65 MPH. | Nebraska Driver’s Manual, p.52 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Nevada | The handbook lists 65 mph for urban freeways and rural highways. | Nevada Driver Handbook, p.35 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Jersey | The New Jersey speed limit is 50 mph on rural roadways that carry no posted limit. | New Jersey Driver Manual, p.62 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| New Mexico | A. No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than: (1) fifteen miles per hour on all highways when passing a school while children are going to or leaving school and when the school zone is properly posted; (2) thirty miles per hour in a business or residence district; (3) fifty-five miles per hour on a county road, as defined in Section 66-7-304 NMSA 1978, without a posted speed limit; (4) seventy-five miles per hour; and (5) the posted speed limit in construction zones posted as double fine zones or other safety zones posted as double fine zones as designated by the department of transportation; provided that the posted speed limit shall be determined by an engineering study performed by the department of transportation. | New Mexico law, NMSA 1978, § 66-7-301(A) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| New York | A driver must obey the speed limit, and where no limit is posted they must drive no more than 55 mph. | New York State Driver's Manual, p.47 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Carolina | The maximum speed limits are 35 mph in cities and towns, 45 for school buses, 55 for school activity buses, 55 outside cities and towns, and 70 on interstates. | North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.53 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| North Dakota | In North Dakota, the maximum speed on a paved two-lane county or township highway with no posted limit is 55 mph. | North Dakota Noncommercial Driver License Manual, p.20 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Ohio | (5) Fifty-five miles per hour on highways outside municipal corporations, other than highways within island jurisdictions as provided in division (B)(8) of this section, highways as provided in divisions (B)(9) and (10) of this section, and highways, expressways, and freeways as provided in divisions (B)(12), (13), (14), and (16) of this section; | Ohio law, Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.21(B)(5) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Unless otherwise posted, the Oklahoma speed limit on undivided state highways is 65 mph. | Oklahoma Driver Manual, p.41 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Oregon | The speed limit is 55 mph on all roads and highways not meeting any other definition, unless otherwise posted. | 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.19 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | (a) General rule.--Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with section 3361 (relating to driving vehicle at safe speed), the limits specified in this section or established under this subchapter shall be maximum lawful speeds and no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of the following maximum limits: (1) 35 miles per hour in any urban district. (1.1) 65 miles per hour or 70 miles per hour for all vehicles on freeways where the department has posted a 65-miles-per-hour or 70-miles-per-hour speed limit. (1.2) 25 miles per hour in a residence district if the highway: (i) is not a numbered traffic route; and (ii) is functionally classified by the department as a local highway. (2) 55 miles per hour in other locations. (3) Any other maximum speed limit established under this subchapter. | Pennsylvania law, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3362(a) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Tennessee | Unless a sign says otherwise, the speed limit on Tennessee's primary and secondary state and federal highways is 55 mph. | Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.47 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Texas | A passenger car may travel at up to 70 mph on a highway numbered by Texas or the United States outside an urban district. | Texas Driver Handbook, p.46 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Vermont | The maximum speed for any vehicle on all Vermont roads is 50 mph, or as posted. | 2025 Vermont Driver's Manual, p.28 | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Virginia | Unless a sign says otherwise, the speed limit on all other roads is 55 miles an hour. | Virginia Driver's Manual, p.15 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Washington | (2) Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with subsection (1) of this section, the limits specified in this section or established as hereinafter authorized shall be maximum lawful speeds, and no person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed in excess of such maximum limits. (a) Twenty-five miles per hour on city and town streets; (b) Fifty miles per hour on county roads; (c) Sixty miles per hour on state highways. The maximum speed limits set forth in this section may be altered as authorized in RCW 46.61.405, 46.61.410, and 46.61.415. | Washington law, RCW 46.61.400(2) | 8 Oct 2026 |
| West Virginia | Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on an open county highway is 55 miles an hour. | West Virginia Driver's Licensing Handbook, p.42 | 6 Sep 2026 |
| Wyoming | Unless another limit is posted, the speed limit on Wyoming secondary highways is 70 mph. | Wyoming Rules of the Road Driver License Manual, p.41 | 14 Sep 2026 |
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No rule found
No rule found in the manual or code of: Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin.
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