North Dakota Is the Latest State to Raise Interstate Speed Limit to 80 MPH

Driving across North Dakota could soon take a little bit less time. Starting on August 1, the speed limit on the Peace Garden State’s interstates will increase from 75 to 80 mph, which matches the limit enforced in several other states. The catch is that speeding fines will go up, too.

Signed by North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, the bill effectively acknowledges that most motorists drive at least 80 mph in a 75-mph zone. There’s also the practical factor that neighboring South Dakota and Montana have 80 mph highway speed limits, so this establishes consistency. The bill passed last Friday.

However, the state’s tolerance for speeding drivers ends there. Also starting on August 1, drivers caught speeding on a road with a limit of 65 mph or above will be charged $20 or $5 for every mile per hour over the limit, whichever is greater. On roads with a lower limit, they’ll be charged $20 or $3 for every mile per hour over the limit, and going more than 16 mph over the limit increases the fine by $20. Speeding in a construction zone will be more expensive, too. If workers are present in the area, you’ll be looking at a $150 fine (up from $80 currently).

Several other predominantly rural states enforce an 80-mph speed limit. Drivers in South Dakota, Montana, and Nevada can legally drive 80, while some interstates in Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming are limited to 80 as well. You’ll find the nation’s highest speed limit in Texas: Motorists traveling on Texas State Highway 130, a toll road that bypasses the Austin area, can legally cruise at 85 mph (about 136 kph).

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