Default Speed Limits in Iowa Could Increase Under New House Bill

Iowa's default speed limit could rise five extra miles-per-hour under a new bill passed by the Iowa House, per The Des Moines Register.

The bill is known as Senate File 378, and would raise the speed limit on most Iowa two-lane highways and rural roads by five miles-per-hour. That would mean the new speed limit would be 60 mph, versus the current speed limit of 55 mph.

READ MORE: 18 Small-Town Iowa Newspapers Might Cease Publication

About Senate File 378:

Per The Des Moines Register, Iowa House lawmakers voted 76-16 on April 1st to pass the bill. Previously, the Iowa Senate passed the bill in a 36-13 vote back in 2025. Due to amendments made by the House, the bill will have to go back through the Senate and be passed again before Gov. Kim Reynolds can/might sign it into law.

Senate File 378 does not attempt to raise Iowa's interstate speed limit of 70 mph. Just last year, Iowa saw the lowest number of traffic deaths in a century. This came after the state passed a law banning handheld electronic devices while driving.

Iowa's Declining Traffic Deaths:

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) recorded 260 traffic deaths in 2025, a decline of 97 from 2024, and the lowest number since the state began tracking this data back in 1925.

House Speaker Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) spoke about how Iowans have been asking lawmakers to raise the speed limit for ages:

As long as I’ve been around here, there’s always been that request of the Legislature. And I think it maybe just is the perfect storm at this point in time to see just that slight increase - House Speaker Pat Grassley, per The Des Moines Register

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If passed, the bill is expected to cost $783,000, per the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. The breakdown of that includes:

• $93,000 for temporary overlays
• $307,000 for the Iowa DOT to replace signs
• $383,000 for counties to replace their own signage

Read more about the proposal to increase Iowa speed limits on The Des Moines Register's website.