Missouri Approves 75 MPH Speed Limits, but Don’t Speed Up Yet

Speeding Up

America’s roads used to be notoriously governed by strict speed limits; states used to enforce limits that usually topped out at just 65 mph or, on rare occasions, 70 mph. A number of states have already proposed and even enforced higher speed limits; some go as high as 80 or 85 mph.

Another state is joining the group of higher limits; Missouri has just announced that it will be increasing its speed limit. While that seems like good news for all, the announcement comes with a catch.

From 70 to 75 MPH

The new law increases the speed limit on all rural interstates and freeways from 70 mph to 75 mph. This was recently approved by Missouri State Governor Mike Kehoe. Missouri’s decision comes after Senate Bill 1408, which was sponsored by State Senator Jamie Burger, was passed.

While the law is set to take effect by the end of this month, on August 28, there is still work to be done in terms of confirming which roads will be part of the 75 mph speed limit increase. The task falls on the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT); the top candidates for the adjusted speed limit include rural sections of I-70 and I-49 around the Kansas City metro, but none have officially been confirmed just yet. According to the law, urban highways aren’t included in the increase; once again, only rural roads are covered by the law, to be clear.

Effective When?

While the review of the MoDOT is still underway, the agency says that motorists will still have to abide by the current 70 mph limit, especially since the road signs indicating the new 75 mph limit have yet to be put up as well. Local station KCTV5 reports that MoDOT is considering a number of factors that will determine if a specific stretch of road is deemed ‘worthy’ of the speed limit change. Some of the things that will be analyzed are the traffic volume, terrain, and road accident history.

The likelihood of the full 75 mph rule taking effect, according to MoDOT, is sometime in early 2027.