Speed limitColombia
2. Speed limit
A speed limit is the maximum legal speed permitted on a road, lane or within a designated area. It may be established by general traffic law or indicated by fixed, variable or temporary traffic signs.
A speed limit is a maximum, not a target speed. Drivers must travel more slowly whenever traffic, visibility, weather, road conditions, vulnerable road users or the condition of the vehicle make the maximum permitted speed unsafe.
Wikimedia.org • EEIM • CC BY
Which general speed limits should car drivers know in Colombia?
Colombian authorities set and sign road-specific limits within national ceilings. These are generally 50 km/h on urban and municipal roads, 30 km/h in school and residential areas, and 90 km/h on national and departmental roads. Qualifying divided roads without pedestrian crossings incorporated into their design may permit up to 120 km/h. This does not establish a universal 120 km/h motorway limit.
Start of a speed limit.
English • Traffic sign SR-30 • Maximum permitted speed: 60 km/h. Sets a 60 km/h maximum. Travel slower when conditions require.
Español • SR-30 • Velocidad máxima permitida: 60 km/h. Establece una velocidad máxima de 60 kilómetros por hora. Circula a una velocidad menor cuando las condiciones lo exijan.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Transmilenio.gov.co • MinTransporte/ANSV: Manual de Señalización Vial 2024, página PDF 82
SVG source: Gobierno de Colombia • Public domain • Original revision 2017-08-29. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Does Colombia’s 120 km/h exception cover every divided road?
No. The statutory exception concerns qualifying divided roads with no pedestrian crossings incorporated into their design. The competent authority determines and signs the applicable speed. A divided layout alone is not permission to accelerate to 120 km/h.
Is the Colombian school or residential maximum the ordinary 50 km/h urban ceiling?
No. The national maximum in school and residential areas is 30 km/h. A lower road-specific limit remains binding, and pedestrians or visibility can require a speed below that maximum.

Traffic rules
Colombia