OOHGuide

Billboard Sizes: Standard Dimensions for Every Format (2026 Chart)

Updated 2026-10-07

Short answer: the standard highway billboard, called a bulletin, is 14 feet high by 48 feet wide (672 square feet). Posters are about 10'5" by 22'8", and junior posters are 6 feet by 12 feet. Digital billboards come in many sizes, so you always design to the specs of the exact screen you book.

Below is a chart of the common sizes, what each one is used for, and what they typically cost.

Billboard size chart

Format Typical size (H x W) Where you see it Typical cost per 4 weeks
Bulletin 14' x 48' Highways and major roads $1,500 to $15,000+
Digital bulletin Often 14' x 48', but varies Highways, busy arterials $770 to $20,000 (shared rotation)
Poster (30 or 32 sheet) About 10'5" x 22'8" Main streets, primary roads $300 to $4,000
Junior poster (8 sheet) 6' x 12' Neighborhood streets, urban areas $250 to $1,500
Spectacular Custom, often 16' to 20' x 60' Times Square, Las Vegas, landmarks Custom quotes
Wallscape Custom, painted or vinyl on a building Dense downtowns Custom quotes

Cost ranges are estimates by format across market sizes. Use the billboard cost calculator to narrow them for your market.

Bulletins (14' x 48')

The bulletin is what most people picture when they hear "billboard." At 14 by 48 feet, it is built to be read from a car moving at highway speed, often from hundreds of feet away. It is also the most common format in the US: of the 529 operators listed in the OOHGuide directory, 374 sell static bulletins.

Bulletins are not all 14 by 48. Operators also run smaller bulletin faces such as 10' x 30', 10'6" x 36', 10' x 40' and 12' x 40', and a few larger "superboards" around 20' x 60' (Alluvit Media size guide). Always confirm the face size before you send artwork to print.

Best for: brand awareness, directional messages ("Exit 42, turn right"), and reaching commuters at scale.

Posters (about 10'5" x 22'8")

Posters are roughly a third the area of a bulletin. They usually sit along primary roads and main streets rather than interstates, so viewers are closer and moving slower. The industry still calls them "30-sheet" or "32-sheet" posters, a holdover from the days when they were pasted up in paper sheets. Exact dimensions vary slightly by operator: about 10'5" x 22'8" and 10'6" x 22'9" are both common.

Best for: local businesses that want frequent, repeated exposure in a specific part of town at a lower price than a bulletin.

Junior posters (6' x 12')

Junior posters, also called 8-sheet posters, are 6 feet high by 12 feet wide. They are mounted lower, closer to eye level, and are common in urban neighborhoods and on smaller roads where pedestrians as well as drivers see them.

Best for: neighborhood retailers, restaurants, clinics and multicultural campaigns aimed at a few square miles.

Digital billboard sizes

There is no single standard size for a digital billboard. Many digital bulletins are built to the classic 14' x 48' footprint, but screens of 10' x 30', 10'6" x 36' and other sizes are common, and each screen has its own pixel resolution. Your ad is usually a static image that rotates with other advertisers every 6 to 8 seconds, and some states set a minimum display time per ad (Blindspot ad spec guide).

Before you design for digital, ask the operator for:

  • The screen's pixel dimensions (width x height)
  • Accepted file types and maximum file size
  • Slot length and how many advertisers share the loop
  • Any rules on animation or day-parting

Digital is widespread. In our directory, 298 operators run at least one digital face. See how much a digital billboard costs for pricing.

Spectaculars and wallscapes

Spectaculars are custom, oversized displays in the highest-traffic places in the country, often with lighting, 3D extensions or full-motion video. Wallscapes are ads printed on vinyl or painted directly on the side of a building. Both are priced case by case, and they are mostly bought by national brands. Our directory lists 42 operators that sell wallscapes.

Street-level and transit formats

Out-of-home goes well beyond roadside billboards. Other common formats include:

  • Bus shelters: backlit panels at transit stops.
  • Bus benches: the most affordable format. Great Falls Bench Advertising, for example, publishes bench rates of $75 to $150 (listing).
  • Transit: bus sides, tails and full wraps, plus train and subway cards. Sizes depend on the vehicle.
  • Mobile billboards: trucks carrying static or digital panels that drive a set route.
  • Place-based screens: in gas stations, gyms, airports and stores.

Sizes for these vary a lot by operator, so get the spec sheet before you design.

How billboard size affects your design

Bigger is not automatically better. What matters is how far away your audience is and how fast they are moving:

  • Highway bulletins are seen from far away at high speed. Use very few words (industry guidance from the OAAA suggests seven or fewer), huge type and strong contrast.
  • Posters and junior posters are seen from closer and slower, so you can afford a little more detail, but the same rules apply.
  • Digital gives you a few seconds per rotation, so the message has to land in a single glance.

The short version: one image, one idea, a logo and a simple next step.

Which billboard size should you choose?

Your goal Best format
Reach a whole metro on a big budget Bulletins on highways
Drive traffic to a store in one part of town Posters or junior posters nearby
Run short, timely or changing messages Digital billboards
Test outdoor advertising cheaply Benches, junior posters or a small-market digital rotation
Make a statement in a downtown Wallscapes or spectaculars

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard billboard size?

The standard highway billboard, called a bulletin, is 14 feet high by 48 feet wide, or 672 square feet.

How big is a poster billboard?

About 10 feet 5 inches high by 22 feet 8 inches wide. Exact dimensions vary slightly by operator.

What size is a junior poster?

A junior poster, also called an 8-sheet poster, is 6 feet high by 12 feet wide.

What size are digital billboards?

There is no single standard. Many are built to the 14 by 48 foot bulletin footprint, but sizes and pixel resolutions vary by screen, so always get the specs from the operator.

Next steps

Find the operators that sell each format in your area with our city guides, estimate your budget with the billboard cost calculator, then request quotes from up to 3 local operators.

Sources

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