A public road is a road that is open to common use by the general population.

In the United States, the majority of paved roads are public, and traffic laws apply to them, for instance:

• speed limits
• drunk driving laws
• depending on the state, bicycles and pedestrians cannot be banned unless the road is limited access

Public roads can be set aside in several ways:

• common law, due to being used by the public for a certain amount of time with no obstruction
• dedication by plat
• easement or deed to the applicable jurisdiction