Schaumburg, IL Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Qualifying roads
- I-90, I-290/Route 53, I-390 frontage
- Ground signs allowed
- 2 per building (vs. 1 standard)
- Wall signs allowed
- 2 per building (vs. 1 standard)
- Convention center digital sign
- Up to 450 sq ft/face, 900 sq ft aggregate
- Convention center sign height
- 20 feet, requires 95,000+ sq ft facility
Summary
Properties fronting Interstate 90, I-290/Route 53 or I-390 get extra signage rights under Village Code §§ 155.99 and 155.114: a second ground sign aimed at the freeway, plus, for large convention centers, a bigger electronic message board than anywhere else in the village.
(B)Ground Signs:(1)Number: There shall not be more than two (2) ground signs (identification ground sign, directory ground sign, or combined directory and identification ground sign) for each building; one (1) oriented to the primary street frontage, and one (1) to the direct frontage on Interstate 90, Interstate 290/Route 53, or Interstate 390...(C)Electronic Message Board Signs:(1)Number: One (1) electronic message board sign will be permitted for convention center facilities over ninety-five thousand (95,000) square feet. The electronic message board sign must be installed in lieu of a permitted ground sign, but may include the name of the facility.(2)Area: The gross surface area of an electronic message board sign shall not exceed four hundred fifty (450) square feet for each exposed face, nor exceed an aggregate gross surface area of nine hundred (900) square feet...(4)Height: The maximum height of any ground sign shall not project higher than twenty feet (20') as measured from the base of the sign or grade of the nearest adjacent roadway, whichever is lower.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56 Update 1 | Policy Manual: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Schaumburg's sign code carves out a special design-guideline track for properties with direct frontage on Interstate 90, Interstate 290/Route 53, or Interstate 390. 114 governs office, industrial and institutional uses; both let a qualifying property install two ground signs instead of the village-wide default of one, with one oriented to the primary street and the second aimed at the interstate frontage. Each ground sign still tops out at 100 square feet per face and 200 square feet aggregate, 15 feet in height. Wall sign allowances double too: two wall signs per building instead of one, with additional signs permitted where a building fronts three or more streets.
114(C) adds a freeway-specific electronic message board allowance found nowhere else in the code: a convention center facility over 95,000 square feet may install one electronic message board sign in place of a permitted ground sign, sized up to 450 square feet per face and 900 square feet aggregate, twenty feet tall, more than ten times the 30-square-foot cap that applies to ordinary governmental electronic signs elsewhere in the village. That sign must still be monument-style with an enclosed pole design matching the primary structure.
Violations & Fines
The director of community development reviews and approves interstate-frontage sign plans as part of the standard sign permit process under § 155.125; a sign built without a permit or exceeding these enlarged limits is treated as nonconforming and can be ordered removed under § 155.155. General penalties under § 10.99 apply: $100 to $50,000 per offense, with each day a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do businesses along I-90 in Schaumburg get extra signage?
Can a big electronic sign go up next to the interstate?
Are the height and area limits otherwise higher on interstate frontage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schaumburg
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