Ontario, Oregon Speed Traps

A popular corridor to bypass Ontario, the speed limit was reduced from 45 to 40 a few years ago. Cops are very non-tolerant of you breaking this speed limit and they sit in the Calvary Chapel parking lot right at the intersection with Alameda to check up on you at this roughly midway point between Hwy 201 and SE 2nd Ave. Ontario City Police normally sets up aforementioned speed trap, but you’ll also see Oregon State Police on this road too. You will get stopped and ticketed for 45, I have references.

Sheriff waits on the turnaround on the Oregon side of the Snake River bridge to catch people going Westbound where the speed changes from 80 in Idaho to 65 in Oregon.

The local State Troopers, Office of Oregon State Police located in Ontario, Oregon), use this area looking for 18-wheelers and out of state vehicles that exceed the speed limit. The area is ideal for increase of speed because of the downhill road approaching the area of Ontario. The state speed limit for 18 wheelers is 55 mph while for automobiles the speed is 65 mph. If the difference in speed limit between the two vehicles is not an accident waiting to happen, I don’t know what is. I live in Ontario and witness the vehicles stopped by the State police on an almost daily basis, so beware.

beware when coming down the hills that are on this section

Proceeding N/B on US Hwy 95 from Oregon-Nevada state line – approximately 10 to 15 miles north of McDermitt. No speed signs at all after leaving McDermitt-approaching some low hills we were radared by a roadside sheriffs vehicle. Upon reaching the peak of the hill there were 3-5 sheriff vehicles waiting in a group. We later checked with several businesses in Oregon and Idaho who stated that the trap was well-known throughout SW Idaho and SE Oregon. If I recall correctly the Sheriff units were from Ontario, Oregon. I repeat there were no (0) speed markers prior to our being radered, stopped and ticketed. The Sheriff noted our California license and also asked if we were carrying any drugs and he would have a car return back the way we came to check for the lack of speed signs. "Fat chance that happened". After leaving the town of McDermitt we proceeded for quite a few miles looking for any speed sign, because we had just crossed a state line. Seeing none we put the pedal to the metal and almost at that moment was when we saw the Sheriff car with the radar.

1/2008