The State With The Highest Speed Limit In The Country (And How It Affects Your Road Trip)

Some plan a road trip across America to get the best weather, others to cover ground as fast as possible. If you're planning a road trip through the U.S., you might look for a route that uses higher-speed roads and highways to shrink distance in a shorter amount of time. The highest speed limit in the country can be found along a segment of State Highway 130 in Texas. On segments 5 and 6, extending 41 miles, the speed limit is a rollicking 85 mph, surpassing the state's overarching maximum of 70 mph.

You might ask yourself: Why does this seemingly random state highway segment have such a high limit (while the interstates don't)? In fact, it's because of the interstate's congestion that State Highway 130 was built. For many years, Interstate 35 was the only major connecting route in central Texas linking Austin and San Antonio. State Highway 130 opened in 2012 as an alternative, specifically designed to be a faster way to travel between the two metro areas.

If you're traveling between Austin and San Antonio, State Highway 130 will certainly get you across sooner. You also won't have to slow for tolls booths, since the route is entirely open tolled. With that said, take a word of caution: The high-speed highway can be as risky as it is thrilling. According to an investigation by KXAN, 16 people had died in crashes along the 85 mph section as of 2019, though it also reported that crash incidents were higher when truckers were incentivized to drive on the road. However, a traffic report from the SH 130 Concession Company (which manages the 85 mph segments) states that the highway's crash rate is lower than similar highways in Texas.

State Highway 130 starts in Georgetown, a trendy but low-key city near Austin, though its 85 mph segments kick in about halfway south along the highway in Mustang Ridge, continuing all the way to its intersection with Interstate 10 near Seguin. While Interstate 35 still gets heavy traffic, State Highway 130 tends to be pretty uncrowded, meaning drivers can take full advantage of the high speed limit. The highway is great if you're traveling between Austin and San Antonio, though it also has a few worthy stops of its own. State Highway 130 passes through Lockhart, an overlooked foodie city called "Texas' BBQ Capital." Meanwhile, about 30 minutes south of Lockhart going along State Highway 130, you could stop at the Buc-ee's in Luling, the world's largest convenience store.

Aside from State Highway 130's 85 mph segments, Texas has quite a few 80 mph roads, and its general threshold of 70 mph is still higher than in many states. After turning onto Interstate 10 in Seguin, the speed limit drops to 70 mph going towards San Antonio. But if you're heading through West Texas, portions of Interstates 10 and 20 have speed limits of 80 mph, such as the segment of I-20 going from Monahans through Pecos. Part of State Highway 45 outside of Austin also reaches an 80 mph limit.