Oregon Road Signs Practice cheat sheet

Regulatory signs are white rectangles with black legends and are legally enforceable; they tell you what you must do, not what to expect.

OREGON SPEED LIMIT signs show the maximum lawful speed in mph statewide; Oregon's default statutory limits are 55 mph on most rural highways, 65 mph on rural interstates, and 15 mph in school zones, alleys, and narrow residential ways.

A STOP sign is a red octagon with white letters; a YIELD sign is a red-and-white downward-pointing triangle. Oregon law requires a full stop at STOP, and at YIELD you slow and stop only if needed to give way.

Lane-use signs use white arrows on black backgrounds: a straight arrow marks a through lane, a curved arrow marks a mandatory turn lane, and a red X with a downward arrow marks a lane closed to your direction.

Left-turn arrows on green mean a protected turn; a green circle means the turn is permitted after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

NO TURN ON RED and similar prohibitions are white rectangular signs with black text and a red circle-slash symbol; they override the general Oregon rule that right turns on red are allowed after a full stop.

Parking control signs specify time limits, permit-only zones, tow-away zones, and no-parking hours; a red circle-slash over a letter indicates the prohibited action.

ONE WAY signs (black arrow on white) and DO NOT ENTER signs (white on red) mark opposing traffic flow; a wrong-way entry is a serious violation.

Warning signs are yellow diamonds with black symbols or legends; they alert you to a condition ahead and do not by themselves change the speed limit.

Curve warning signs show a curved arrow: a single bend for a simple curve, a reverse S for a double curve, and an advisory plaque (yellow with black text) giving a recommended safe speed.

Intersection warnings include a crossroad symbol (four-way), a side-road symbol (T or Y), and a roundabout circular-arrow symbol; they warn of traffic entering or crossing ahead.

Road-narrows signs show a lane pinching from both sides, the right, or the left; the sign indicates the side that loses width, not the side you should move to.

Hill signs: a truck on a downgrade warns of a steep descent with a percentage grade plaque; a truck climbing lane sign marks a slow-vehicle lane on an upgrade.

Surface-condition warnings use symbols for slippery when wet, loose gravel, and falling rocks; the condition may exist only in certain weather, so the sign is a persistent caution.

Winding road, divided highway begins/ends, and two-way traffic signs use arrow or split-road symbols to describe changes in the road's geometry ahead.

A yellow diamond with a black pedestrian or bicycle symbol warns of crossings or shared use ahead; it is a warning, not a regulatory prohibition.

Work zone signs are orange with black legends or symbols; orange is reserved for temporary traffic control, so an orange sign means conditions are not permanent.

ROAD WORK AHEAD, LANE CLOSED AHEAD, and FLAGGER AHEAD are typical orange warning signs; a following orange plaque may give a distance such as 1000 FT.

A flagger in a high-visibility vest with a STOP/SLOW paddle has the same authority as a stop sign; you must stop when the paddle shows STOP and proceed only on SLOW.

Channelizing devices in work zones include orange-and-white striped drums, cones, and barricades; a barricade with diagonal stripes directs traffic away from the closed side.

DETOUR signs (often orange with black arrows) route traffic around a closure; follow the posted detour markers rather than improvising through the work area.

Temporary traffic signals, portable stop signs, and pilot cars may control one-lane work zones; obey them exactly as permanent controls.

Reduced work-zone speed limits posted on orange signs are enforceable; fines for moving violations in Oregon work zones can be doubled when workers are present.

A END ROAD WORK sign marks the return to normal conditions; resume the permanent posted speed only after passing it.

Guide signs are green with white legends on freeways and expressways; they give destinations, distances, and exit information without imposing rules.

Interstate route markers are red, white, and blue shields; U.S. route markers are white shields with black numbers; Oregon state routes use a white-on-black or green marker with the route number.

Exit numbers on Oregon interstates are based on the milepost of the exit, so exit numbers generally increase as you travel north or east.

An exit direction sign shows the exit number, destination, and an arrow or diagram of the exit lane; a diagrammatic sign shows the lane layout at a split.

Blue signs mark motorist services (gas, food, lodging, hospital, phone); brown signs mark recreation, parks, and points of interest; both are informational.

A MILEPOST marker gives the distance along the route and is used to report locations in emergencies; mileposts reset at state lines or route changes.

Weigh station, rest area, and scenic overlook signs are rectangular guide signs; a mandatory weigh-station sign for trucks is regulatory in effect.

A crossbuck (white X with RAILROAD CROSSING legend) marks the crossing itself; it means yield to trains, and a train always has the right of way.

Advance warning signs are yellow diamonds with a round railroad symbol (RXR) and a distance plaque; they appear well before the crossing.

A number plaque below the crossbuck shows how many tracks there are; more than one track means a second train may follow the first.

Flashing red lights, bells, and gates mean stop and remain stopped until the lights stop flashing and the gate is fully raised; never drive around a lowered gate.

Pavement markings include a white X and the letters RR before the crossing, plus a stop line where you must stop if a train is approaching.

Light rail crossings may use similar signals but trains are quieter and faster; treat light rail tracks with the same yield rule as freight railroads.

A yellow diamond with a train symbol and EXEMPT plaque means certain vehicles (such as some buses) are not required to stop; private vehicles still must yield.

Never stop on tracks; if traffic is backed up beyond the crossing, wait before the stop line until you can clear the tracks completely.

School zone signs are fluorescent yellow-green pentagons or diamonds with a pedestrian symbol; the fluorescent color is used specifically to heighten attention near schools.

Oregon school speed zones are commonly 20 mph when children are present or when flashing beacons are active; the sign's plaque states which condition applies.

A SCHOOL CROSSING pentagon marks a crossing used by schoolchildren; drivers must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and stop when a crossing guard signals.

Crosswalk signs (yellow diamond with a walking person) and in-street pedestrian crossing signs mark marked crosswalks; Oregon law requires stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Shared-lane markings (sharrow: a bicycle symbol with two chevrons) indicate a lane shared by bicycles and motor vehicles; they are not a dedicated bike lane.

A bike lane sign or marked lane with a bicycle symbol designates space reserved for bicycles; motor vehicles may cross it only to turn or park where permitted.

A NO PEDESTRIANS or pedestrian-prohibited sign (white rectangle with red slash) bars walking on that roadway segment, typically on freeways and tunnels.

Pedestrian signal heads at signalized crossings show a walking person (WALK) and an upraised hand (DON'T WALK); a flashing hand means finish crossing, not start.

Shape carries meaning: an octagon is always STOP, and a downward-pointing triangle is always YIELD; no other sign uses these shapes.

A diamond is used exclusively for warning signs; a horizontal rectangle is used for guide and informational signs; a vertical rectangle is used for regulatory signs.

A pennant (isosceles triangle pointing right) marks a NO PASSING ZONE; it is the only sign with that shape.

A pentagon (point up) marks school zones and school crossings; a round sign marks a railroad advance warning.

Color codes: red = stop, yield, or prohibition; yellow = warning; orange = construction and maintenance; green = guide and permitted movements; blue = motorist services.

Brown marks recreation and cultural interest areas; white marks regulatory signs and some route markers; fluorescent yellow-green marks school and pedestrian warnings.

A red circle with a diagonal slash means the pictured action is prohibited; a green circle means the action is permitted.

Route marker shapes reinforce the road class: interstate shield, U.S. shield, and state route marker each identify a different highway system.

Yellow lines separate traffic moving in opposite directions; white lines separate traffic moving in the same direction or mark the right edge of the roadway.

A solid yellow line on your side means no passing; a broken yellow line means passing is permitted when safe; a double solid yellow line prohibits passing in both directions.

A stop bar is a wide white line across your lane at an intersection or crosswalk; stop before it, not on it, when a STOP sign or signal requires a stop.

Crosswalk markings are parallel white lines or a ladder pattern; they define where pedestrians cross and where drivers must yield.

Delineators are small reflective posts along the roadside; white reflectors mark the right edge and yellow reflectors mark the left edge of a divided highway.

Object markers are placed on obstructions: a type 3 marker (diagonal stripes) marks a barrier, and stripes slope downward toward the side you should pass.

Channelizing lines (white diagonal stripes in a painted island) separate traffic from an area you must not drive through; they may accompany a lane-use sign.

Raised pavement markers supplement painted lines: yellow markers mark the left edge or centerline, white markers mark lane lines and the right edge.