Fatal Roads

States › Tennessee › Hamilton County

FIPS47065

Tennessee · county

Hamilton County

Residents 386,256Deaths 2024 39Deaths 2015–2024 440Latest 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 440 people killed in 406 fatal crashes in Hamilton County, Tennessee, between 2015 and 2024, 39 of them in 2024.

With 386,256 residents, that is 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people a year over the ten years, 29% lower than the Tennessee rate of 16.8 and close to the national rate of 11.8.

The ten-year death toll was about level between 2005–2014 (436) and 2015–2024 (440).

Of the factors FARS records, the one that stands furthest above the state share here is speeding: 26.8% against 16.5% for Tennessee.

35% of the county's fatal crashes happened between 6pm to midnight, and Saturday was the most common day (18%).

39deaths in 202435 fatal crashes
233deaths, 2020–2024440 over ten years
11.9per 100,000 residents a year2015–2024; 2024 alone: 10.1
-29%vs Tennessee ratestate 16.8 · US 11.8

Trend since 1975

04079197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 68 deaths1976: 74 deaths1977: 65 deaths1978: 67 deaths1979: 71 deaths1980: 76 deaths1981: 79 deaths1982: 58 deaths1983: 48 deaths1984: 68 deaths1985: 41 deaths1986: 55 deaths1987: 46 deaths1988: 49 deaths1989: 56 deaths1990: 59 deaths1991: 43 deaths1992: 42 deaths1993: 28 deaths1994: 58 deaths1995: 45 deaths1996: 44 deaths1997: 50 deaths1998: 50 deaths1999: 51 deaths2000: 49 deaths2001: 39 deaths2002: 46 deaths2003: 38 deaths2004: 39 deaths2005: 44 deaths2006: 58 deaths2007: 43 deaths2008: 43 deaths2009: 47 deaths2010: 42 deaths2011: 36 deaths2012: 38 deaths2013: 43 deaths2014: 42 deaths2015: 42 deaths2016: 39 deaths2017: 27 deaths2018: 43 deaths2019: 56 deaths2020: 45 deaths2021: 51 deaths2022: 47 deaths2023: 51 deaths2024: 39 deaths
People killed in crashes in Hamilton County by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 39 deaths.

Ten-year total up 1% (436 in 2005–2014, 440 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 Tennessee and the nation

MeasureHamiltonTennesseeUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202411.916.811.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202410.116.611.5
Deaths, 2015–202444011,576389,190
Fatal crashes, 2015–202440610,680358,460
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+1%+8%+7%
Crashes on rural roads8%43%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 386,256 in 2024.

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking26.6%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver26.8%
Pedestriansshare of people killed15.9%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed16.6%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used48.3%
In darknesscrashes after dark50%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads7.9%

tick marks the Tennessee share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

"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

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in Hamilton County by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 388 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday18%
Thursday16%
Friday15%
Sunday14%
Tuesday14%
Monday13%
Wednesday11%

Light condition

Daylight45%
Dark, lighted28%
Dark, not lighted22%
Dawn3%
Dusk3%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial34%
Minor arterial25%
Interstate17%
Major collector8%
Local6%
Other freeways and expressways6%
Minor collector4%

FHWA functional classes as coded in FARS (FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the Tennessee share. Interstates and other principal arterials carry the most traffic, so a high share there is expected. See what the road classes mean.

Weather

Clear74%
Cloudy14%
Rain12%
Snow, sleet or freezing rain0%
Fog, smog or smoke0%
Crosswinds or blowing sand/snow0%

Routes with the most fatal crashes in Hamilton

#RouteTypeIn countyFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 24Interstate3532036424%21%
2US Route 11US highway3411211919%13%
3Interstate 75Interstate3216518115%10%
4US Route 27US highway28828612%11%
5State Route 58State highway23475228%13%
6State Route 153State highway20202010%15%
7State Route 319State highway20202120%20%
8US Route 41US highway1015716617%17%
9State Route 111State highway5414615%10%
10US Route 127US highway4616321%12%

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

YearFatal crashesDeathsDrinking-driver crashesPer 100,000
202435391110.1TN 2024
202348511113.2TN 2023
20224547912.2TN 2022
20214951813.2TN 2021
202038451611.7TN 2020
201955561914.5TN 2019
201842431311.1TN 2018
2017262767.0TN 2017
201633391110.1TN 2016
20153542410.9TN 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 Hamilton County, Tennessee?

39 people died in 35 fatal crashes in 2024; 233 over 2020–2024 and 440 over 2015–2024, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

How does Hamilton compare with Tennessee?

11.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 16.8 for Tennessee and 11.8 nationally. Rates use Census Bureau population estimates.

What share of fatal crashes in Hamilton involved alcohol?

26.6% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had at least one driver reported by police as drinking, against 24.5% in Tennessee. The factor furthest above the state share was speeding at 26.8%.

Which roads in Hamilton see the most fatal crashes?

Among signed routes with a page on this site, Interstate 24 (35 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024), US Route 11 (34 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024) and Interstate 75 (32 fatal crashes in the county, 2015–2024).

When do fatal crashes happen in Hamilton?

Most often between 6pm to midnight (35% of crashes) and on Saturdays (18%); 50.0% 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.