Janesville, WI Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Section 28-189(b) of the Janesville Code of General Ordinances restricts off-premises signs, billboards advertising something other than what is on the parcel, to eleven named streets and highway segments, and only along the parcel's frontage of that listed road. Two of the eleven describe Interstate 90 directly: from Humes Road (USH 14) northwest to the City limits, and from Palmer Drive south to the City limits. The list also covers Milton Avenue (STH 26), Racine Street (STH 11), Center Avenue (USH 51), Avalon Road (STH 351/11) and several other named corridors.

A qualifying sign must sit within 100 feet of the adjoining right-of-way line of its listed street, with its message face oriented predominately perpendicular to that street, and it can only be built on land zoned business or industrial under Section 28-189(c)(1). Signs along Interstate 90 specifically get a larger size allowance than the rest of the corridor list: Section 28-189(c)(7) caps most off-premises signs at 300 square feet per face (600 total for two faces), but a sign located along I-90 may reach 600 square feet per face, up to 1,200 square feet total.

Every off-premises sign, freeway-facing or not, must still clear the standard spacing rules: at least 750 feet from another off-premises sign, 600 feet from the Rock River's ordinary high water mark, and either 600 feet from residential or agricultural zoning (reducible to 300 feet by Plan Commission conditional permit) or more if it also meets the electronic message sign definition under the separate rules in Section 28-189(d). No off-premises sign may exceed 30 feet in height above grade.