New Speed Limits Are Coming To Montgomery County

New speed limits will take effect across Montgomery County by the end of next month, with some roadways dropping as low as 25 mph.

By Gaby Arancibia, Patch Staff

Jul 21, 2026 10:35 am EDT

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Drivers in Montgomery County will soon have new speed limits to abide by in the coming month.

County officials revealed Monday that 15 areas will soon have new speed limits posted by the end of August. Some of those roadways are located in parts of Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Wheaton and Silver Spring.

New speed limits, according to officials, could get as low as 25 mph, with others dipping to 30 mph and 35 mph.

County Executive Marc Elrich said in a release that the speed adjustments "is an important step toward changing the culture of our neighborhood roads."

"Reducing speed by just five miles per hour can prevent an unimaginable tragedy. When cars slow down, it saves lives," he said.

What Prompted The Changes?

The new changes make up the latest round of reductions in the county since the 2021 passage of Maryland House Bill 562, which granted officials the ability to reduce speed limits by up to 20 mph. In rare instances, the legislation allows for max speeds to be brought down to 15 mph.

Since July 2025, county officials have brought down speed limits on 33 roads, many of which were located in residential areas, according to the county.

While speed reductions are carried out in some areas between the Montgomery County Department of Transportation and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration, the majority come at the request of concerned residents.

"Residents have been asking for traffic calming and reduced speeds on their local neighborhood roads," said Chris Conklin, who serves as the director of MCDOT. "Before implementing reduced speed limits, our engineers conduct safety, engineering, and traffic analyses to ensure the reduced speed limit will work in that location.

"We know that lower speeds mean reduced risk of serious injury or death in a crash. Lower speeds are even more important in areas with lots of pedestrian and bicycle travel. The reduced speed limits, alongside our pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects, promote safer driving behaviors," he added.

Speed Reductions Areas

A listing of all the speed limit changes being made by the county can be seen below. Alternatively, the county has released a map outlining the impacted areas.

Bethesda