Speed limits

Everyone wants to reach their travel destination safely. Safe travel speeds support this goal in two ways:

1. Safe speeds lower the risk of crashes
2. When crashes occur, safe speeds make it less likely that people are killed or seriously injured

Interactive map of speed limits

Map data provided may not reflect unknown, recent, or pending changes, and the City of Portland assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Please email us for questions or corrections.

This is the landing page for the Speed Limits map. It shows the speed limits for non-highway streets in Portland. PBOT understands that this map is not screen reader accessible and is working toward a permanent solution. Due to the complexity of the information the map provides and the currently available map platforms at the city, we ask for your patience while we work on a technology-based solution. As we work toward providing that level of accessibility, please contact PBOT Vision Zero staff who can assist you to get the data you need from the map. You can also contact PBOT’s ADA Coordinator at Lisa.Strader@portlandoregon.gov or at 503-823-5703.

Small changes in speed have big impacts

As people travel faster, the risk of death or serious injury rises dramatically. The diagram below show that a pedestrian struck by a person driving 40 mph is eight times more likely to die than a pedestrian struck at 20 mph.

What makes a "safe speed"

In urban places such as Portland, speed limits must account for people traveling in different ways: walking, driving, using mobility devices, biking, skateboarding, and so on.

It is important to consider people traveling outside of motor vehicles because they are not protected from the impact of crashes.

We use the following principles to identify safe speed limits:

• Less physical separation between people driving and vulnerable users requires a lower speed limit. Sidewalks and protected bike lanes are examples of physical separation.
• Injury crashes are an indicator that speed limits may be too high.
• Street design can help reinforce a speed limit, but speed limits alone can still support safer travel.
• Setting urban speed limits based on 85th percentile speeds is not supported by evidence and is not part of our practice. (The 85th percentile is the speed at which 85 percent of people drive at or below on a street.)

Residential speed limit reduction

As part of our Vision Zero work, we reduced speed limits on most residential streets to 20 mph in 2018.

Residential streets make up around 70 percent of Portland’s street network. These streets are typically narrow, have few marked crosswalks, and no bike lanes. Given the tight space and lack of protection for people walking, using mobility devices, and biking, it is extra important that people drive slowly on these streets.

Miles of street by speed limit

Represented as percentages of Portland's approximately 2,100 miles of street

Speed limit changes since 2017

Listed by year, then alphabetically by street name