30 miles per hour
The speed limit on most city streets is 30 miles per hour because an “urban district” is land adjacent to and including a highway, if the land has structures that are used for business, industry, or residences and the buildings are located at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of at least one quarter mile …
What is the speed in a residential area?
Examples of statutory speed limits include: 25 mph in residential or school districts, 55 mph on rural highways, and 70 mph on rural Interstate highways. Posted speed limits (sometimes called regulatory speed limits) are those that are sign-posted along the road and are enforceable by law.
What is the typical speed limit for urban districts in Texas?
30 Miles Per Hour
If you are driving on a street in an Urban district you must not exceed 30 Miles Per Hour. If you are on a highway numbered by Texas or the U.S. and outside an urban district, the limit is 75MPH. If you are driving on highway not numbered by Texas or the U.S. and outside an urban district, the limit is 60.
What are the 4 major speed laws?
In California, there are four major Speed Laws: Basic, Prima Facie, Maximum, and Minimum. As a state with approximately 40 million residents, each speed law mandates different requirements for drivers. The overarching goal is to protect the safety of everyone on or near the road.
What road in Texas has no speed limit?
Highway 130
Texas State Highway 130
| Maintained by TxDOT | |
| Length | 130.6 mi (210.2 km) |
| Existed | 1985–present |
| Major junctions |
What’s the speed limit in school zones in Utah?
The speed limit for school zones in Utah is 20mph.
Is there a limit on the speed limit?
The State Highway Commission may determine that a maximum limit upon any part of the state highway system is greater or less than reasonable upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation. ↩
What’s the speed limit in an alley in Texas?
(b) Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower speed for compliance with Section 545.351 (Maximum Speed Requirement) (b), the following speeds are lawful: (1) 30 miles per hour in an urban district on a street other than an alley and 15 miles per hour in an alley;
What does Urban District mean in Texas law?
“Urban district” means the territory adjacent to and including a highway, if the territory is improved with structures that are used for business, industry, or dwelling houses and are located at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of at least one-quarter mile on either side of the highway.
I’ve been reading that long stretches of road in Texas have super-fast speed limits compared to other areas of the country. Since I’m headed there on a road trip, I wanted to see if I could go that fast. What’s the speed limit in Texas?
A road trip sounds exciting! The Texas speed limit is as high as 85 mph, giving it the distinction of having the highest posted speed limit in the Americas. However, the 85-mph speed limit is only on a 41-mile stretch of Texas State Highway 130 (SH 130) between Texas State Highway 45 and Interstate 10.
Outside of this stretch of SH 130, the speed limit in Texas can vary, so always be aware of the posted limit to avoid a ticket. Here are the other Texas speed limits:
- 75 mph or 80 mph on stretches of the interstate
- 70 mph on state highways outside of urban areas
- 60 mph on country roads or other non-state-numbered highways
- 30 mph in residential areas or business districts
- 15 mph in alleys
Texas also enacts different speed limits at night on rural highways due to the danger of high speeds and wildlife. If you travel at night, you may drive on roads that have a night speed limit that’s five mph lower than the daytime speed limit.
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Speed limits in Texas are governed by the Texas Transportation Code, Title 7: Vehicles and Traffic, Subtitle C: Rules of the Road, Chapter 545: Operation and Movement of Vehicles, Subchapter H: Speed Restrictions. All pertinent laws and regulations regarding speeding and speed limits are found in this subchapter of Texas laws.
How fast can you drive in Texas, and what are legal speed limits in this state? Below we’re providing a quick overview of Texas speed limit laws.
Texas speed limit laws summary:
- Urban district or street: 30 MPH
- Alley, beach, or roads adjacent to beaches: 15 MPH
- Numbered state or federal highway outside urban district: 70 MPH
- Non-numbered highways outside urban districts: 60 MPH
Always watch out for local speed limit traffic signs! Our overview of Texas speed limits above is based on general state laws. Every municipality, county, town or even road can have specific regulations and restrictions, so always keep an eye on traffic signs with posted speed limits which supersede these general rules.
Texas has the highest speed limits in United States, where some rural highways have up to 85 mph speed limits.
“Presumed” speed limits
Texas is one of very few states which uses a “prima facie” or “presumed” speed limits. This means you are permitted to drive above legal speed limits if conditions allow. For example, in case you are driving 35mph on a street with 30 mph limit and the road has very little or no traffic, you may drive faster than legal speed limits in Texas allow.
You can claim in court that you were still driving safe given conditions. It’s up to individual police officer to determine whether you were driving unsafely and whether to issue you a ticket. Generally speaking you are unlikely to be issued a ticket for driving 5mph over the speed limit.
However, this should not be used as an excuse for reckless speeding. Fighting traffic tickets in court can be costly and often not worth the hassle, so it’s always best to adhere to legal speed limits.
Minimum speed limits
Texas Transportation Code (Sec. 545.363) regulates the following:
An operator may not drive so slowly as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
Furthermore this Section also allows authorities to set specific minimum speed limits where needed. Where minimum speed signs are erected you must adhere to their posted limits.
Speeding Penalties
Driving over speed limit in Texas has different penalties and fines. First time violators are typically fined between $1 and $500, and their driver license may be suspended for no longer than one year.
Fines vary greatly depending on where you received the ticket. Here are usual fines in some of the largest cities in Texas:
- San Antonio: driving over 10mph over speed limits results in a $166 fine, and additional $5 for every additional 1 mph above limits. For example driving 45 mph in a 30 mph zone will result in a $191 fine.
- Austin: speeding ticket in Austin will set you back $143 for driving 5 mph or less over the limit, and up to $273 for 26 mph or more over the speed limit.
- Houston: speeding fine in Houston is $165 when driving 5 mph or less over speed limit, and up to $300 for speeds greater than 30 mph over legal limits.
Additional surcharges or costs and driver license penalty points may also be issued.
Note that driving less than 5 mph over legal speed limit in Texas state is typically considered acceptable and you should not get a traffic ticket for it. This is a reasonable margin of error and most law enforcement officers will not pull you over for exceeding speed limits by less than 5 miles per hour.
All fines and penalties may increase in case you have been convicted with another speeding violation in the past. Additional traffic violations may also increase penalties.
Excessive speeds may get you in other legal trouble based on Street Racing Laws or Reckless Driving Laws. Driving 30 mph over legal or posted speed limits is often considered reckless driving, which can carry harsh fines and even jail sentences.
Sources and references:
This article about Texas Speed Limit Laws was last updated in 2022. If any of our information is incomplete or outdated please let us know. Thank you!