States › Iowa › Pottawattamie County
Pottawattamie County
Residents 93,529Deaths 2024 9Deaths 2015–2024 118Latest data year 2024
FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024. Figures are aggregates from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System; no individual crash is identified.
NHTSA's FARS file lists 118 people killed in 115 fatal crashes in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, between 2015 and 2024, 9 of them in 2024.
With 93,529 residents, that is 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people a year over the ten years, 16% higher than the Iowa rate of 10.9 and close to the national rate of 11.8.
The ten-year death toll fell 19% from 145 in 2005–2014 to 118 in 2015–2024.
Of the factors FARS records, the one that stands furthest above the state share here is pedestrians: 13.6% against 7.1% for Iowa.
34% of the county's fatal crashes happened between noon to 6pm, and Saturday was the most common day (25%).
Trend since 1975
Ten-year total down 19% (145 in 2005–2014, 118 in 2015–2024). The shaded band is the ten-year window used for rates and shares. County codes are matched to today's Census county list; a few historic code changes are merged.
Compared with Iowa and the nation
| Measure | Pottawattamie | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024 | 12.6 | 10.9 | 11.8 |
| Deaths per 100,000 residents, 2024 | 9.6 | 11.0 | 11.5 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 118 | 3,477 | 389,190 |
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 115 | 3,140 | 358,460 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Change vs previous ten years | -19% | -10% | +7% |
| Crashes on rural roads | 60% | 72% | 43% |
Rates divide deaths by Census Bureau population estimates for each year (residents, not road users; through traffic on major routes raises the rate of small counties). Population 93,529 in 2024.
Factors
"Alcohol" counts crashes where police reported at least one driver as drinking (FARS DR_DRINK), not the BAC-based alcohol-impaired measure NHTSA publishes separately. "Speeding" counts crashes with a driver coded as racing, exceeding the limit or too fast for conditions. Details in the methodology. Factor pages: alcohol, speeding, pedestrians, motorcycles, unrestrained occupants.
Time of day and day of week
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Fatal crashes in Pottawattamie County by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 115 crashes with a known hour and weekday.
By weekday
Light condition
Road type
FHWA functional classes as coded in FARS (FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the Iowa share. Interstates and other principal arterials carry the most traffic, so a high share there is expected. See what the road classes mean.
Weather
Routes with the most fatal crashes in Pottawattamie
| # | Route | Type | In county | Fatal crashes | Deaths | Alcohol | Speeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interstate 80 | Interstate | 24 | 165 | 188 | 17% | 24% |
| 2 | Interstate 29 | Interstate | 13 | 43 | 49 | 30% | 21% |
| 3 | US Route 6 | US highway | 7 | 56 | 62 | 21% | 25% |
| 4 | State Route 92 | State highway | 3 | 27 | 31 | 33% | 4% |
| 5 | US Route 75 | US highway | 1 | 25 | 26 | 24% | 8% |
| 6 | US Route 59 | US highway | 1 | 22 | 27 | 14% | 0% |
Signed routes (Interstate, US and state highways) that have a page on this site, ranked by fatal crashes in this county over 2015–2024; "fatal crashes" and "deaths" columns are the statewide totals for the route. Local streets and county roads are not listed.
By year, 2015–2024
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths | Drinking-driver crashes | Per 100,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | 9 | 1–2 | 9.6 | IA 2024 |
| 2023 | 13 | 13 | 1–2 | 13.9 | IA 2023 |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 1–2 | 10.7 | IA 2022 |
| 2021 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 11.8 | IA 2021 |
| 2020 | 13 | 13 | 1–2 | 13.9 | IA 2020 |
| 2019 | 12 | 13 | 1–2 | 13.9 | IA 2019 |
| 2018 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 11.8 | IA 2018 |
| 2017 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 12.8 | IA 2017 |
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | 1–2 | 13.9 | IA 2016 |
| 2015 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 13.9 | IA 2015 |
Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule). Per-100,000 uses the 2024 population for every year in this table; the ten-year rate above uses each year's estimate.
Questions and answers
How many people died in crashes in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
9 people died in 9 fatal crashes in 2024; 56 over 2020–2024 and 118 over 2015–2024, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
How does Pottawattamie compare with Iowa?
12.6 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 10.9 for Iowa and 11.8 nationally. Rates use Census Bureau population estimates.
What share of fatal crashes in Pottawattamie involved alcohol?
17.4% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had at least one driver reported by police as drinking, against 25.4% in Iowa. The factor furthest above the state share was pedestrians at 13.6%.
Which roads in Pottawattamie see the most fatal crashes?
Among signed routes with a page on this site, Interstate 80 (24 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024), Interstate 29 (13 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024) and US Route 6 (7 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024).
When do fatal crashes happen in Pottawattamie?
Most often between noon to 6pm (34% of crashes) and on Saturdays (25%); 37.2% happened after dark.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files (1975–2024) and Census Bureau county population estimates. Figures are aggregates; no individual crash is identified. See the methodology page for definitions.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 1975–2024 (accident table for every year; vehicle and person tables for 2015–2024), public domain. Population: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals (vintages 2000–2010, 2010–2020 and 2020–2024). Data through 31 Dec 2024; page generated 30 Sep 2026. Processing errors are corrected at the next build; see corrections and sources.