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US Route 61
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 55Deaths 63Counties 6Latest 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. The route is the trafficway recorded for each crash (FARS TWAY_ID); the same route number in another state has its own page.
Between 2015 and 2024, FARS records 55 fatal crashes on US Route 61 in Minnesota, with 63 deaths.
That is 1.5% of the 3,788 fatal crashes in Minnesota over the same years. The ten-year crash count fell 8% from 60 in 2005–2014 to 55 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Ramsey County (13), Wabasha County (11) and Washington County (11) and 3 other counties.
29.1% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Minnesota: 30.3%) and 29.1% had a speeding-related driver (27.1%); pedestrians were 3.2% and motorcyclists 27.0% of those killed.
Fatal crashes per year
Route identification in FARS is consistent from 2000; earlier years are not shown. Shaded band: the ten-year window used for the shares below.
Compared with all fatal crashes in Minnesota
| Measure | US Route 61 | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 55 | 3,788 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 63 | 4,111 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 1.5% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | -8% | -4% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on US-61 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ramsey County | 13 | 24% | 214 |
| 2 | Wabasha County | 11 | 20% | 31 |
| 3 | Washington County | 11 | 20% | 100 |
| 4 | Winona County | 11 | 20% | 39 |
| 5 | Goodhue County | 7 | 13% | 47 |
| 6 | Dakota County | 2 | 4% | 167 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on US Route 61 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Minnesota share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 130–135 | 7 | 13% |
| Mile 25–30 | 5 | 9% |
| Mile 115–120 | 5 | 9% |
| Mile 140–145 | 4 | 7% |
| Mile 50–55 | 3 | 5% |
| Mile 95–100 | 3 | 5% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 100% of crashes on the route have a milepoint. Milepoints are as recorded by the state and can restart at county or district lines.
Other routes in Minnesota
- US Route 169 116
- Interstate 94 97
- Interstate 35 84
- US Route 10 71
- State Route 23 62
- State Route 65 59
- State Route 55 57
- US Route 71 46
- State Route 210 45
- State Route 47 43
- Interstate 90 39
- US Route 14 37
All routes and counties in Minnesota
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on US Route 61 in Minnesota?
55 fatal crashes with 63 deaths over 2015–2024, per NHTSA's FARS. The route is the trafficway recorded for the crash; the same numbered route in another state has its own page.
Which counties along US Route 61 had the most fatal crashes?
Ramsey County (13), Wabasha County (11), Washington County (11), Winona County (11) and Goodhue County (7).
What share of crashes on US Route 61 involved alcohol or speeding?
29.1% had a driver reported as drinking and 29.1% a speeding-related driver, against 30.3% and 27.1% for all fatal crashes in Minnesota.
When do fatal crashes happen on US Route 61?
49.1% of the crashes were between 6pm and 6am. The hour chart on this page shows the full distribution.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 2000–2024 (accident, vehicle and person tables), public domain. Route pages are built for signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology and corrections.