As of January 1, 2014, drivers can legally drive up to 70 miles per hour on some highways in Illinois.
Despite opposition from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Governor Pat Quinn signed the law in August 2013 that allows for the faster speeds on four-lane divided highways outside of urban areas. The DOT opposed the higher speeds, saying crashes and fatalities will increase with the speed limit.
Parts of Interstate 280, I-74, I-80 and I-88 are among highways where the new, higher speed limit will be allowed.
Illinois DOT workers said it will take a couple of weeks for new speed limit signs to be put in place, and that motorists should obey the posted speed limit on all roads until then.
Iowa made the jump from 65 to 70 mph on some non-urban highways in 2005.
Other states with similar limits include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.