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US Route 81
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 67Deaths 83Counties 10Latest 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 67 fatal crashes on US Route 81 in Nebraska, with 83 deaths.
That is 3.2% of the 2,087 fatal crashes in Nebraska over the same years. The ten-year crash count rose 91% from 35 in 2005–2014 to 67 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Madison County (15), Cedar County (12) and York County (9) and 7 other counties.
13.4% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Nebraska: 32.6%) and 7.5% had a speeding-related driver (17.5%); pedestrians were 2.4% and motorcyclists 9.6% 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 Nebraska
| Measure | US Route 81 | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 67 | 2,087 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 83 | 2,346 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 3.2% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | +91% | +4% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on US-81 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison County | 15 | 22% | 46 |
| 2 | Cedar County | 12 | 18% | 22 |
| 3 | York County | 9 | 13% | 34 |
| 4 | Fillmore County | 8 | 12% | 12 |
| 5 | Polk County | 6 | 9% | 10 |
| 6 | Thayer County | 5 | 7% | 10 |
| 7 | Butler County | 4 | 6% | 17 |
| 8 | Pierce County | 4 | 6% | 14 |
| 9 | Platte County | 3 | 4% | 27 |
| 10 | Webster County | 1 | 1% | 8 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on US Route 81 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Nebraska share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 35–40 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 140–145 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 150–155 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 155–160 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 210–215 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 10–15 | 3 | 4% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 94% 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 Nebraska
- Interstate 80 205
- US Route 30 88
- US Route 6 78
- US Route 75 68
- US Route 275 54
- US Route 77 52
- US Route 34 46
- State Route 2 39
- State Route 92 31
- US Route 20 30
- State Route 64 28
- US Route 83 27
All routes and counties in Nebraska
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on US Route 81 in Nebraska?
67 fatal crashes with 83 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 81 had the most fatal crashes?
Madison County (15), Cedar County (12), York County (9), Fillmore County (8) and Polk County (6).
What share of crashes on US Route 81 involved alcohol or speeding?
13.4% had a driver reported as drinking and 7.5% a speeding-related driver, against 32.6% and 17.5% for all fatal crashes in Nebraska.
When do fatal crashes happen on US Route 81?
35.6% 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.