Oregon speed limits are a mixture of state and federal law. The first speed limit in the United States was set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1757. The speed limit for wagons, carriages, horses, etc. on Sunday was set at a walking pace. Anyone exceeding this limit would be fined 10 shillings (equal to about $86 U.S. Dollars today). Today, Texas has the title for the fastest roads in the U.S. Some interstate highways in Texas allow a maximum speed of 85mph, and the state’s average speed limit for all three types of roadways (rural and urban interstates, and limited-access roads) is 78.3mph.

The “basic speed rule” in Oregon is described in ORS 811.100 as follows:

(1) A person commits the offense of violating the basic speed rule if the person drives a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard to all of the following:

(a) The traffic.

(b) The surface and width of the highway.

(d) Weather.

(e) Visibility.

(f) Any other conditions then existing.

(2) The following apply to the offense described in this section:

(a) The offense is as applicable on an alley as on any other highway.

(b) Speeds that are prima facie evidence of violation of this section are established by ORS 811.105 (Speeds that are evidence of basic rule violation).

(c) This section and ORS 811.105 (Speeds that are evidence of basic rule violation) establish limitation on speeds that are in addition to speed limits established in ORS 811.111 (Violating a speed limit).

(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, violation of the basic speed rule by exceeding a designated speed posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds) is punishable as provided in ORS 811.109 (Penalties for speed violations).

(4) The offense described in this section, violating the basic speed rule, is a Class B traffic violation if the person drives a vehicle upon a highway at a speed that is not reasonable and prudent under the circumstances described in subsection (1) of this section even though the speed is lower than the appropriate speed specified in ORS 811.105 (Speeds that are evidence of basic rule violation) as prima facie evidence of violation of the basic speed rule.

ORS 811.111 goes into further details for “violating a speed limit” by clarifying that a driver commits the offense of violating a speed limit if the driver:

(a) Drives a vehicle on an interstate highway at a speed greater than 65 miles per hour or, if a different speed is posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds), at a speed greater than the posted speed.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, drives any of the following vehicles at a speed greater than 55 miles per hour on any highway or, if a different speed is posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds), at a speed greater than the posted speed:

(A) A motor truck with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds or a truck tractor with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,000 pounds.

(B) A school bus.

(D) A worker transport bus.

(E) A bus operated for transporting children to and from church or an activity or function authorized by a church.

(F) Any vehicle used in the transportation of persons for hire by a nonprofit entity as provided in ORS 825.017 (Nonapplicability of chapter to certain persons and vehicles).

(c) Drives a vehicle or conveyance on any part of the ocean shore in this state at a speed greater than any of the following:

(A) Any designated speed for ocean shores that is established and posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds).

(B) If no designated speed is posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds), 25 miles per hour.

(d) Drives a vehicle upon a highway in any city at a speed greater than a speed posted by authority granted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds) or, if no speed is posted, the following:

(A) Fifteen miles per hour when driving on an alley or a narrow residential roadway.

(B) Twenty miles per hour in a business district.

(D) Twenty-five miles per hour on a highway in a residence district if the highway is not an arterial highway.

(E) Sixty-five miles per hour on an interstate highway.

(F) Fifty-five miles per hour in locations not otherwise described in this paragraph.

(e) Drives a vehicle in a school zone at a speed greater than 20 miles per hour if the school zone is:

(A) A segment of highway described in ORS 801.462 (School zone) (1)(a) and:

(i) The school zone has a flashing light used as a traffic control device and operated under ORS 810.243 (Operation of flashing light indicating children in school zone) and the flashing light indicates that children may be arriving at or leaving school; or

(ii) If the school zone does not have a flashing light used as a traffic control device, the person drives in the school zone between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a day when school is in session.

(B) A crosswalk described in ORS 801.462 (School zone) (1)(b) and:

(i) A flashing light used as a traffic control device and operated under ORS 810.243 (Operation of flashing light indicating children in school zone) indicates that children may be arriving at or leaving school; or

(ii) Children are present, as described in ORS 811.124 (Meaning of children are present in ORS 811.111).

(2) The offense described in this section, violating a speed limit, is punishable as provided in ORS 811.109 (Penalties for speed violations).

Oregon speed limits are about to change March 1st, 2016 for much of eastern and northeastern Oregon. HB 3402 will increase the speed limit in Interstate 84 between The Dalles and the Idaho border from 65mph to 70mph. The new law will also increase the speed limits on portions of U.S. 20, U.S. 26, U.S. 95, U.S. 97, U.S. 197, U.S. 395, OR 31, OR 78 and OR 205 from 55mph to 65mph. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) speed increase map shows details as to which highways will be affected.