Speed limits
Unless a different limit is posted, what is the maximum speed limit on a two-lane undivided highway in California?
- 55 mph. Correct answer
- 65 mph.
- 70 mph.
Why
California's default maximum on most highways is 65 mph, but two situations drop it to 55: a two-lane undivided highway, and any vehicle towing a trailer. Seventy is not one of the handbook's default limits; a higher number applies only where it is posted. These figures are ceilings, not targets: the Basic Speed Law forbids any speed beyond what the conditions of the moment make safe, so traffic, weather, the road surface and the presence of bicyclists or pedestrians can make the legal speed much lower than the number on the sign. Driving much slower than the limit can also get you cited if you block the normal flow of traffic.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is 55 mph.
The rule behind this one
California speed limits and the basic speed law goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
In real life
More on speed limits
- An intersection has no STOP signs on any corner and your view of the cross street is blocked. What is the speed limit as you approach?
- In a heavy rainstorm you cannot see farther than 100 feet ahead. According to the handbook, what is the fastest it is safe to drive?
- The road is covered in ice. By how much does the handbook say you should reduce your speed?
- You turn into an alley behind a row of shops. Unless a sign says otherwise, how fast may you drive?