Mississippi Speed Limits

Key points

1. Posted speed limits are for ideal conditions; slow down when weather or visibility is poor.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “If the weather or visibility is poor, slow down accordingly. Posted speed limits are intended for ideal conditions.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

2. Cars on interstates: 70 mph maximum, 40 mph minimum.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “Interstates 70 mph 40 mph Four-lane Highways (State & U.S.) 65 mph 40 mph”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

3. Cars on four lane highways: 65 mph maximum, 40 mph minimum; two lane highways: 55 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “Four-lane Highways (State & U.S.) 65 mph 40 mph Two-lane Highways (State & U.S.) 55 mph”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

4. Natchez Trace Parkway: 50 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “Two-lane Highways (State & U.S.) 55 mph Natchez Trace Parkway 50 mph”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

5. Trucks in bad weather or poor visibility: 45 mph maximum.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “All Other Highways 55 mph Inclement Weather/Bad Visibility 45 mph”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

6. The maximum speed for a school bus is 45 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “The maximum speed for a SCHOOL BUS is 45 mph.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

7. The maximum speed for any vehicle in a school zone is 15 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “The maximum speed for any vehicle in a SCHOOL ZONE is 15 mph.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

8. Hitting a wall at 40 mph is like driving off a four story building.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “If you hit a stone wall at 40 mph, the impact is the same as if you drove off a four-story building.”
   Mississippi Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 30

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Mississippi practice test

1. 1. What maximum speed does the Mississippi table list for passenger automobiles on interstates?

   1. 55 mph
   2. 70 mph
   3. 65 mph
   4. 50 mph
   Show answer

   70 mph. The passenger-automobile table assigns interstates a 70 mph maximum. The 65 mph figure belongs to four-lane state and U.S. highways, while 55 mph applies to two-lane state and U.S. highways. Natchez Trace Parkway is listed at 50 mph. These are table values for roadway categories, and the surrounding guidance still requires slower travel when conditions are not ideal or a lower sign is posted.

2. 2. What maximum speed applies to any vehicle in a Mississippi school zone according to the manual?

   1. 35 mph
   2. 25 mph
   3. 15 mph
   4. 45 mph
   Show answer

   15 mph. The manual gives one school-zone maximum for any vehicle: fifteen miles per hour. The word any matters because the limit is not raised for a passenger car, a larger vehicle, or a time when the road seems quiet. Forty-five miles per hour is the separate school-bus maximum. Reduce speed promptly when the school-zone setting calls for it, and watch carefully for children.

3. 3. What maximum speed does the manual list for a school bus?

   1. 45 mph
   2. 35 mph
   3. 55 mph
   4. 65 mph
   Show answer

   45 mph. The speed table sets the school-bus maximum at forty-five miles per hour. That figure is distinct from the fifteen-mile-per-hour maximum for any vehicle in a school zone and from the higher interstate and highway figures for passenger automobiles. Choosing fifty-five or sixty-five would import passenger-car roadway values into a bus-specific rule. A posted lower limit or hazardous condition can still require slower travel.

Source: the Mississippi Driver's Manual, Rules of the Road: Legal Speeds. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.