Speed Limits
625 ILCS 5/11-601 — 30 in an urban district, 55 on most other roads, 70 on the interstate, and a misdemeanor at 26 over
No vehicle may be driven faster than is reasonable and proper for traffic and the road, and keeping under the posted limit does not end the duty to slow for intersections, curves, hills, narrow roads, pedestrians, bicyclists and weather.
Who handles this in Illinois: Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
| Where | Limit unless another is set |
|---|---|
| WhereAn urban district | Limit unless another is set30 miles per hour |
| WhereAn alley | Limit unless another is set15 miles per hour |
| WhereAn interstate highway, including the tollways | Limit unless another is set70 miles per hour |
| WhereA designated highway with at least 4 lanes and the directions separated | Limit unless another is set65 miles per hour |
| WhereAll other highways, roads and streets | Limit unless another is set55 miles per hour |
The counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair and Will may adopt ordinances setting lower limits outside an urban district.
| Over the limit | Offense |
|---|---|
| Over the limit26 miles per hour or more, but less than 35 | OffenseA Class B misdemeanor |
| Over the limit35 miles per hour or more | OffenseA Class A misdemeanor |
Sources for this section (2)
- 625 ILCS 5/11-601 — General speed restrictions
- 625 ILCS 5/11-601.5 — Driving 26 miles per hour or more in excess of applicable limit
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.