McDowell County, North Carolina: fatal crash statistics
FARS records 6 deaths in 6 fatal crashes in McDowell County in 2024.
FARS records 70 deaths in 61 fatal crashes in the county from 2015 to 2024.
From 2015 to 2024 the rate is 15.5 deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year.
The rate of North Carolina in the same years is 14.5.
By deaths from 2015 to 2024, McDowell County was number 64 of 100 counties of North Carolina.
Deaths in McDowell County fell by 12.5% between the ten years 2005 to 2014 (80) and the ten years 2015 to 2024 (70).
In the counties of North Carolina the deaths rose by 9.0% between the same years.
From 2015 to 2024, 82.0% of the fatal crashes in McDowell County with a known setting were rural, against 57.2% in North Carolina.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
This page rests on the FARS 2024 annual file. NHTSA released it on . NHTSA can revise the counts in the final file. Release dates
Table 1 has the numbers. Go to the table
Since the last update: no figure of this county has a change on record.
Deaths and fatal crashes by year
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Crashes with a driver recorded as drinking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 2023 | 8 | 7 | 1 or 2 |
| 2022 | 10 | 7 | 1 or 2 |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| 2020 | 5 | 4 | 1 or 2 |
| 2019 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| 2018 | 8 | 7 | 1 or 2 |
| 2017 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 1 or 2 |
| 2015 to 2024 | 70 | 61 | 12 |
Each year from 1975
Tallest column: 22 (1976)2024: 6
The columns with a stronger shade are the years 2015 to 2024.
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 6 |
| 2023 | 8 | 7 |
| 2022 | 10 | 7 |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 |
| 2020 | 5 | 4 |
| 2019 | 7 | 7 |
| 2018 | 8 | 7 |
| 2017 | 5 | 4 |
| 2016 | 8 | 6 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 |
| 2014 | 9 | 9 |
| 2013 | 10 | 10 |
| 2012 | 7 | 7 |
| 2011 | 13 | 12 |
| 2010 | 9 | 7 |
| 2009 | 7 | 4 |
| 2008 | 8 | 8 |
| 2007 | 9 | 7 |
| 2006 | 6 | 6 |
| 2005 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| 2004 | 7 | 7 |
| 2003 | 13 | 10 |
| 2002 | 5 | 5 |
| 2001 | 8 | 7 |
| 2000 | 18 | 17 |
| 1999 | 3 | 3 |
| 1998 | 7 | 7 |
| 1997 | 11 | 8 |
| 1996 | 5 | 5 |
| 1995 | 5 | 4 |
| 1994 | 7 | 7 |
| 1993 | 6 | 5 |
| 1992 | 5 | 3 |
| 1991 | 3 | 3 |
| 1990 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| 1989 | 7 | 7 |
| 1988 | 17 | 15 |
| 1987 | 12 | 12 |
| 1986 | 12 | 11 |
| 1985 | 11 | 11 |
| 1984 | 7 | 6 |
| 1983 | 15 | 9 |
| 1982 | 6 | 5 |
| 1981 | 7 | 6 |
| 1980 | 20 | 16 |
| 1979 | 13 | 12 |
| 1978 | 13 | 11 |
| 1977 | 13 | 8 |
| 1976 | 22 | 11 |
| 1975 | 12 | 12 |
Note: a count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2". A death is in FARS when it occurs in 30 days or less after the crash.
Rate for each 100,000 residents
| Period | McDowell County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13.2 | 14.6 | 11.5 |
| 2015 to 2024, in a year | 15.5 | 14.5 | 11.8 |
Note: the rate divides the deaths in the county by its residents. Persons who do not live in the county are in the deaths, not in the residents.
Population: Census Bureau estimates, vintage 2025. McDowell County had 45,298 residents in 2024.
Factors that NHTSA records
| Factor | Count | Counted among | Share | Share in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A driver recorded as drinkingof 61 fatal crashes | 12 | 61 fatal crashes | 25.3% | |
| A speeding-related driverof 61 fatal crashes | 18 | 61 fatal crashes | 31.8% | |
| No restraint usedof 50 occupant deaths with restraint use known | 20 | 50 occupant deathswith restraint use known | 46.8% | |
| Pedestriansof 70 deaths | 6 | 70 deaths | 14.9% | |
| Bicyclistsof 70 deaths | 1 or 2 | 70 deaths | 1.7% | |
| Motorcyclistsof 70 deaths | 12 | 70 deaths | 13.5% | |
| On a rural roadof 61 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 50 | 61 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 57.2% | |
| In the darkof 60 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 20 | 60 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 46.3% |
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure, which uses a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher. One crash can be in two or more rows. NHTSA's definitions
Note that alcohol data is often missing. For that reason, this data element may under-count the actual number of drinking drivers.
Weekday, time and road class
| Weekday | Midnight to 6 a.m. | 6 a.m. to noon | Noon to 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. to midnight | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 0 | 1 or 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
| Monday | 0 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Tuesday | 0 | 1 or 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| Wednesday | 1 or 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 or 2 | 11 |
| Thursday | 0 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Friday | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Saturday | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| All days | 3 | 9 | 26 | 23 | 61 |
Note: a cell with a stronger shade has a larger count. The table has the fatal crashes with a known hour and weekday.
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share | Share in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 4 | 6.6% | 9.7% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 0 | 0.0% | 4.1% |
| Other principal arterial | 20 | 32.8% | 27.0% |
| Minor arterial | 5 | 8.2% | 16.1% |
| Major collector | 16 | 26.2% | 15.1% |
| Minor collector | 6 | 9.8% | 5.7% |
| Local | 10 | 16.4% | 22.3% |
| Not reported | 0 | n/a | n/a |
Note: the classes are those of the Federal Highway Administration. The shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Light condition and weather
| Light condition | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 38 |
| Dark, not lighted | 20 |
| Dark, lighted | 0 |
| Dawn | 1 or 2 |
| Dusk | 1 or 2 |
| Dark, lighting unknown | 0 |
| Other or unknown | 1 or 2 |
| Weather | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 44 |
| Cloudy | 7 |
| Rain | 9 |
| Snow, sleet or freezing rain | 0 |
| Fog, smog or smoke | 0 |
| Crosswinds or blowing sand/snow | 0 |
| Other or not reported | 1 or 2 |
Routes in the county
| Route | Type | In McDowell | In all of North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate 40 | Interstate | 4 | 363 |
| State Route 226 | State highway | 7 | 29 |
| US Route 64 | US highway | 1 or 2 | 293 |
| US Route 70 | US highway | 5 | 318 |
| US Route 221 | US highway | 17 | 46 |
Note: the table has each route with a page that has a fatal crash in the county, in name order. Local streets and county roads have no page. Their crashes are in the county totals. All routes in North Carolina
Adjacent counties
These lists are for navigation. They are in name order.
Deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year, 2015 to 2024
- Fewer than 106 counties
- 10 to 14.925 counties
- 15 to 19.934 counties
- 20 to 29.922 counties
- 30 or more13 counties
- McDowell County: 15.5
The limits of the classes are the same for every state. A county with few residents can show a high rate from few deaths. A class is not a judgement of a county. The full map and the table of counties of North Carolina
| County | State | Deaths, 2024 | Deaths, 2015 to 2024 | For each 100,000 residents in a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery County | North Carolina | 1 or 2 | 24 | 13.6 |
| Buncombe County | North Carolina | 44 | 347 | 13.1 |
| Burke County | North Carolina | 18 | 142 | 16.0 |
| Mitchell County | North Carolina | 5 | 18 | 12.0 |
| Rutherford County | North Carolina | 16 | 118 | 17.9 |
| Yancey County | North Carolina | 1 or 2 | 28 | 15.3 |
Source of the list: Census Bureau county adjacency file, 2026 edition.
Counties of similar population
These counties of North Carolina have a population nearest to that of McDowell County. The list is for navigation and is in name order. The number is the deaths from 2015 to 2024.
Official channels
- NHTSA Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)NHTSA's query tool for FARS counts.
- NHTSA FARS EncyclopediaNHTSA's tables of FARS data.
- North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety ProgramThe highway safety office of North Carolina.
These links go to the sites of the agencies. They were checked on .
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. McDowell County, North Carolina: fatal crash statistics. https://fatalroads.com/county/nc/mcdowell/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national files of 1975 to 2024. The factors use the vehicle and person files from 2015. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Map: Census Bureau cartographic boundary file, 2021 edition. Data to . The figures are totals. No page of this site is about one crash or one person.
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
How many deaths did FARS record in McDowell in the ten years before 2015?
FARS records 80 deaths in McDowell County from 2005 to 2014. It records 70 deaths from 2015 to 2024.
What was the rate of McDowell in 2024?
The rate of McDowell County in 2024 was 13.2 deaths for each 100,000 residents. The rate of North Carolina was 14.6. The rate of the United States was 11.5.
How many fatal crashes in McDowell had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 12 of 61 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. This count is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA says that alcohol data is often missing, so the count may be too low.
How many fatal crashes did FARS record on signed routes in McDowell?
5 signed routes in the county have a page. FARS records 34 fatal crashes on them in the county from 2015 to 2024. The table of routes on this page gives the count for each route.