A town sign or city limit sign is a

road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

placed at the side of the road or street at the boundary of the territory of a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

, or

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

. Town signs may be placed for reading both by drivers entering the town and, in a different format, by those exiting it. Signs give the name of the town in the local

official language An official language is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as, "the language or one of the languages that is accepted by a country's government, is taught in schools, used in the courts of law, etc." Depending on the decree, establishmen ...

s, and sometimes in other languages. In some countries, town signs are also an essential part of the traffic law, for example by defining (explicitly or implicitly) the

speed limit Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed, express ...

within the town's territory.

By country

In some countries, such as

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, town signs aren't placed exactly at the city/town boundary, but rather where the continuous

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

begins and ends.

Austria

On September 6, 1994, Austrian lawyer Rudi Vouk (of Slovenian ancestry) drove faster than the speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour while driving through St. Kanzian, also known as Škocjan. In the court case that followed, Vouk refused to pay the speeding ticket, arguing that the monolingual sign was unconstitutional. In December 2006, the

Constitutional Court of Austria The Constitutional Court ( or ) in Austria is the tribunal responsible for judicial review. It verifies the constitutionality of statutes, the legality of ordinances and other secondary legislation, and the constitutionality of decisions of ...

found that city limit signs had to be bilingual. The facts of the case were that the district authority of

Völkermarkt District Bezirk Völkermarkt () is an administrative district in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Municipalities Völkermarkt is divided into 13 municipalities, of which 2 are towns and 3 market towns. Towns *Bleiburg () (4,083) **Aich, Bleiburg, Dobr ...

had ordered signs for the city limits of

Bleiburg Bleiburg () is a small town in the south Austrian state of Carinthia (''Koroška''), south-east of Klagenfurt, in the district of Völkermarkt, some four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the border with Slovenia. The municipality consists of the twel ...

, Ebersdorf, and Schwabegg to be put up only in German. After this was found to be unconstitutional, the signs were also put up in Slovenian, but smaller; the court found that this too was unconstitutional. As of 2010, the issue of bilingual city signs in Austria has not been resolved.

United Kingdom

In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, ''town sign'' may refer to a prominent, decorative, often carved sign, commemorating the values and history of the town. Synonymous with

Village sign In many parts of England, an ornamental village sign is erected to announce the village name to those entering the village. They are typically placed on the principal road entrance or in a prominent location such as a village green. The desig ...

; Commonly in the centre of the town.

United States

In much of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, there is a similar county sign at the boundary between each county (or

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

not part of one), indicating the county being entered and often the one being left. Even if not done within a given

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

, there is also nearly always a welcome sign at the state line on every major highway, and most any other road. The welcome signs on

Interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

s are usually very large and have

graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...

, and may have an attached text-only sign directing motorists to the

welcome center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center or tourist information centre is a physical location that provides information to tourists. Types A visitor center may be a Civic ce ...

at a

rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, Limited-access road, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names ...

. On smaller roads, they are usually more similar to town signs, showing the state and county, often with other signs indicating

, a state law (such as "burn headlights during rain"), and/or a change in

time zone A time zone is an area which observes a uniform standard time for legal, Commerce, commercial and social purposes. Time zones tend to follow the boundaries between Country, countries and their Administrative division, subdivisions instead of ...

In popular culture

In the film '' It's a Wonderful Life'', directed by

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

, a town-limit sign reading "You are now in Bedford Falls" appears. However, the pronoun "you" is deliberately left ambiguous.

Gallery

Leander Architectural Welcome Sign - Congleton.jpg, Cast aluminium welcome sign for

Congleton Congleton is a market town and civil parish in Cheshire East, Cheshire, England. It is on the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 28,497 and the built-up area ha ...

, United Kingdom Entrée dans Barberaz.JPG, The border between the

French communes A () is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in Canada and the United States; ' in Germany; ' in Italy; ' in Spain; or civil parishes in the Uni ...

Chambéry Chambéry (, , ; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the southeastern ...

and Barberaz Wagmatcook First Nation.jpg,

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

community of Wagmatcook in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, Canada Kagoshima prefectural roads 42 Satsumasendai-Aira border.JPG, Sign in Japan Znakpogoda.jpg, Entry sign, Chłopków, Poland Kamouraska - QC - city limit sign.jpg, Sign in the Canadian province of

Québec Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

Vlotho-Schild.JPG,

Vlotho Vlotho () is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, ...

in the district of Herford, Germany Budyšin – měšćanska tafla (2021).jpg, Bilingual entry signs in German and

Upper Sorbian Upper Sorbian (), occasionally referred to as Wendish (), is a minority language spoken by Sorbs in the historical province of Upper Lusatia, today part of Saxony, Germany. It is a West Slavic language, along with Lower Sorbian, Czech, Poli ...

Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (, ; , ; ; or ''Milsko''; ) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the north, it makes up the region of Lusatia, named after the Polabian Slavs, Slavic ''Lusici'' tribe. Both parts of Lusatia a ...

, Germany Tallinn entrance-Road N2.jpg, Entrance to

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

along the highway 2 ( E263) in Estonia Llechryd Roadsign.jpg , Bilingual English-Welsh sign with speed limit,

Llechryd Llechryd () is a Rural area, rural village on the A484 road approximately from Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales. Situated on the north Bank (geography), bank of the Tide, tidal River Teifi, Llechryd is the first point upstream of Cardigan where cross ...

PineHillSign.jpg, One of

Catskill Park The Catskill Park is in the Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. It consists of of land inside a Blue Line in four counties: Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster. As of 2005, or 41 percent of the land within, is owned by ...

's brown and yellow town signs, showing the hamlet of

Pine Hill, New York Pine Hill is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the western part of the town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 275. History Pine Hill became an important t ...

, United States Stafford, Texas City Limit Sign-Texas FM Route 1092.jpg, Entry sign for Stafford, Texas on FM 1092 Town Exit and Confirmation Sign.JPG, Town exit sign in

Villarrubia de los Ojos Villarrubia de los Ojos is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Ciudad Real, Castilla–La Mancha. The municipality spans across a total area of 281.86 km2 and, as of 1 January 2020, it has a registered population of 9,762. Geography ...

Ciudad Real Ciudad Real (, ) is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region. It was founded as Villa Real in 1255 as a ro ...

, with a

reassurance marker A reassurance marker or confirming marker is a type of traffic sign that confirms the identity of the route being traveled on. It does not provide information found on other types of road signs, such as distances traveled, distances to other locat ...

Denizli il tabelasi.jpg, Sign in Turkey Oudtshoorn bord.jpg, Sign in South Africa ALAcityborder.JPG, Sign in Kazakhstan Beregszasz_city_limit_sign_rovas_script.JPG, Bilingual entry signs in Beregszász / Berehove / Берегово (Ukraine) - with

Cyrillic The Cyrillic script ( ) is a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia. It is the designated national script in various Slavic, Turkic, Mongolic, Uralic, Caucasian and Iranic-speaking countries in Southeastern Europe, Ea ...

letters (for Ukrainian), Hungarian letters (for Hungarians) and rovas letters (for 12th-century Magyars) Łubowice_tablica.jpg, Bilingual entry sign in Polish and German in Łubowice, Poland Chotebuz.jpg, Bilingual exit sign in Czech and Polish in

Trans-Olza Trans-Olza (, ; , ''Záolší''; ), also known as Trans-Olza Silesia (), is a territory in the Czech Republic which was disputed between Poland and Czechoslovakia during the Interwar Period. Its name comes from the Olza River. The history of ...

, Czech Republic CeduleVojenský_újezd_Hradiště.jpg, Entry sign in Hradiště Military Training Area,

Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...

, Czech Republic Bambrugge bebouwde kom.jpg, The speed limit of 50 km/h in

Bambrugge Bambrugge is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located on the Molenbeek in the Denderstreek, southeast of East Flanders and belongs to the Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Vlekkem, Ottergem, ...

Taajama kyltti Vimpelissä.jpg, A town area sign (with the speed limit of 40 km/h) in

Vimpeli Vimpeli (; ) is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the South Ostrobothnia region, northeast of Seinäjoki and northwest of Jyväskylä. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population de ...

, Finland Plaknammeboerd Damwâld.png, Entry sign in

Damwâld Damwâld is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, in the Netherlands. In 2020 it had 5630 citizens. This number of citizens makes Damwâld the largest village in the municipality of Dantumadiel. History The present day village ...

, Netherlands Зайцеве, стела на в'їзді до села, 27 лип 2019.jpg, Entry sign in Zaitseve, Ukraine

References

{{Reflist Street furniture Traffic signs Signage Road safety