The list of states with 80 MPH speed limits continues to grow.
If you live out west, you’ve probably noticed you’re allowed to go a little bit faster on Interstate highways than you used to. As of August 1, 2025, North Dakota will add its name to the list, becoming the ninth state to legally allow its drivers to travel up to 80 mph. Now, those of us who live in one of the states allowing the higher limit also probably know…people were already driving these speeds anyway (if not faster).
North Dakota governor Kelly Armstrong signed the new limit into lay on May 5, increasing the speed limit from 75 mph.
It’s not a total green-light for people to speed even more, though. In tandem with the speed limit hike, North Dakota is also raising speeding fines. Mind you, the fine will be a minimum of $20 or $5 for each mile per hour over the limit (whichever is greater), so it’s still pretty reasonable. There’s an additional fine of $20 on top of that initial penalty for driving 16 mph or more over the limit.
Other states permitting speeds up to 80 mph — in non-urban areas, naturally — are South Dakota (so now both Dakotas have the same top speed limit), Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas and Oklahoma. These limits are among the highest in the U.S. at present, though Texas is the exception that allows drivers to go 85 mph on certain stretches of road. In the western part of the country, most states allow up to 75 mph, while those limits typically fall into the 70 or even 65 mph ball park when you start heading east (though the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington all top out at 70 too, for the most part).
According to a 2023 report by the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), there were 1,427 injuries reported in crashes related to speed or aggressive driving. Of 96 fatal crashes that year, about one-third were also put down to speed. Organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also broadly oppose raising speed limits, arguing people will continue to drive above and beyond whatever the speed limit is. With higher limits, that means even faster real-world speeds, and therefore a greater number of crashes (and a more significant change of injury or death, at that).
Nevertheless, the North Dakota state legislature has made the decision based on that data to raise its speed limit anyway, so you’ll soon be able to get across the state that little bit quicker.
