Highway 20 speed limit change approved
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 17, 2026
Drivers on Oak Harbor’s north end will soon see the speed limit on a section of Highway 20 drop from 50 mph to 45 mph after the state approved the change, and the City Council updated local code last week.
The ordinance updates city code to reflect the state’s decision to reduce the speed limit from 50 mph to 45 mph on about three-quarters of a mile of Highway 20 near the Fakkema Road roundabout, from north of Northeast 16th Avenue to the city’s northern limits. No other speed limits in Oak Harbor are affected.
City Engineer Alex Warner told council members the proposal follows recommendations from the Washington State Department of Transportation after it evaluated traffic speeds after construction of the roundabout.
The council had previously expressed interest in lowering the speed limit to 40 mph in September 2025, to match the adjacent 40 mph section of Highway 20, according to a News-Times article. However, Warner noted that the city does not have the final say over speed limits on state highways.
“The state has ultimate authority on setting the speeds. We are simply revising our code to be consistent with what the state sets,” he said.
When Councilmember Bryan Stucky clarified his assumption that they didn’t actually have a choice, City Administrator Sabrina Combs said staff wanted the council to formally approve the ordinance while also encouraging better coordination with the state on future speed-limit changes.
“Commissioner Johnson and I spoke to WSDOT, and I followed up with Alex on this; they need to be better partners with us in working on these so that we can work together on the needs of our community,” she said. “I said, ‘What happens is we end up taking a hit, council members and staff, for changes that you’re making when you’re not working with us because we know what our communities need.”
Mayor Pro Tem Tara Hizon said she appreciated that the decision was based on traffic data.
“These decisions are, you know, they might feel arbitrary to us, but they’re not made in a vacuum, they’re based on data and it’s nice to see that,” Hizon said.
The change also brings greater consistency to the area, Warner said, highlighting how Island County has already reduced the speed limit on nearby Ault Field Road to 45 mph. WSDOT also plans to extend the 45 mph zone north of the city limits to Hoffman Road. Warner estimated the change could take effect in about three months after the state completes the process.
