The level of service (LOS) concept in the Highway Capacity Manual has been used as a qualitative measure representing freeway operational conditions for over 35 years. One key element that has not been adequately addressed is how road users perceive LOS. This exploratory research examines road user perceptions of freeway LOS by presenting a sample of road users with video clips of various traffic condition levels and asking them their perceptions of LOS in these clips. A random effects ordered probability model is then used to statistically link user-recorded perceptions of LOS with their characteristics, residence and employment locations, and the extent of their facility use in addition to traffic conditions. The findings suggest that the Highway Capacity Manual’s use of traffic density as a single performance measure for LOS does not reasonably reflect the perceptions of road users. The statistical analysis shows that a number of attributes besides traffic density determine road user perceptions of LOS and that these perceptions vary depending on both traffic conditions and road user characteristics.