Letter Height Calculator

Size sign legend using the 1 in / 30 ft guidance from Section 2A.08 or the street-name values in MUTCD Table 2D-2.

Legibility Distance (Section 2A.08)

Enter a distance to see the letter height.

Guidance: plan for 1 inch of letter height for every 30 feet of legibility distance (MUTCD Section 2A.08).

Street Name Signs (Table 2D-2)

Select a mounting and roadway context to see the recommended letter heights.

Table 2D-2 values are recommended minimum letter heights for street name signs.

Type of Mounting Type of Street or Highway Speed Limit Initial Upper-Case Lower-Case
Overhead All types All speed limits 12 in 9 in
Post-mounted Multi-lane More than 40 mph 8 in 6 in
Post-mounted Multi-lane 40 mph or less 6 in 4.5 in
Post-mounted Two-lane All speed limits 6 in* 4.5 in*

* On local two-lane streets with speed limits of 25 mph or less, 4-inch initial upper-case letters with 3-inch lower-case letters may be used.

References