Fatal Roads

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IA

State

Iowa

Residents 3,241,488Deaths 2024 356Deaths 2015–2024 3,477Counties 99Routes with pages 24

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.

In 2024, 356 people died in 324 fatal crashes in Iowa; the ten years 2015–2024 total 3,477 deaths in 3,140 crashes.

That is 10.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, close to the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total fell 10% from 3,872 in 2005–2014 to 3,477 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, motorcyclists stands out most: 15.7% of people killed against 14.5% nationally. 71.5% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 39.9% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Benton County (22.6), Lee County (19.1) and Webster County (16.1).

356deaths in 2024324 fatal crashes
10.9per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
-10%ten-year change in deaths3,872 → 3,477
25%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0390779197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 670 deaths1976: 779 deaths1977: 628 deaths1978: 638 deaths1979: 655 deaths1980: 626 deaths1981: 613 deaths1982: 480 deaths1983: 514 deaths1984: 420 deaths1985: 474 deaths1986: 441 deaths1987: 491 deaths1988: 557 deaths1989: 514 deaths1990: 465 deaths1991: 488 deaths1992: 437 deaths1993: 459 deaths1994: 478 deaths1995: 527 deaths1996: 465 deaths1997: 468 deaths1998: 449 deaths1999: 490 deaths2000: 445 deaths2001: 446 deaths2002: 405 deaths2003: 443 deaths2004: 388 deaths2005: 450 deaths2006: 439 deaths2007: 446 deaths2008: 412 deaths2009: 371 deaths2010: 390 deaths2011: 360 deaths2012: 365 deaths2013: 317 deaths2014: 322 deaths2015: 320 deaths2016: 402 deaths2017: 330 deaths2018: 319 deaths2019: 336 deaths2020: 343 deaths2021: 356 deaths2022: 336 deaths2023: 379 deaths2024: 356 deaths
People killed in crashes in Iowa by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 356 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

08152000200520102015202020242000: 15.22001: 15.22002: 13.82003: 15.12004: 13.12005: 15.22006: 14.72007: 14.92008: 13.72009: 12.22010: 12.82011: 11.72012: 11.92013: 10.22014: 10.42015: 10.22016: 12.82017: 10.52018: 10.12019: 10.62020: 10.72021: 11.12022: 10.52023: 11.82024: 11
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Iowa and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 11. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureIowaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202410.911.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202411.011.5
Deaths, 2015–20243,477389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years-10%+7%
Share of the national toll0.9%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking25.4%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver20.2%
Pedestriansshare of people killed7.1%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed15.7%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used48.1%
In darknesscrashes after dark39.9%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads71.5%

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

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Fremont County6,4943146.11–237%17%
2Adair County7,4313041.3019%11%
3Monona County8,4292933.61–233%11%
4Cass County13,0244030.51–225%34%
5Iowa County16,4234930.0619%30%
6Decatur County7,6562329.235%5%
7Ringgold County4,6081429.21–2——
8Clarke County9,5242526.31–228%22%
9Greene County8,6622224.9425%5%
10Osceola County6,0361524.7031%23%
11Worth County7,3071824.3420%7%
12Audubon County5,5621323.31–215%23%
13Benton County25,7995822.6415%20%
14Humboldt County9,6172122.0342%11%
15Ida County6,8101521.71–231%15%
16Mills County14,7173221.6338%7%
17Harrison County14,6263121.6033%4%
18Sac County9,5332121.6316%11%
19Hamilton County14,8563020.1324%14%
20Monroe County7,3731519.61–229%7%
21Lee County32,3766419.1429%17%
22Davis County9,1931718.81–26%31%
23Floyd County15,0082918.61–222%9%
24Cedar County18,2313418.5429%19%
25Clayton County16,9313218.51–223%10%
26Wayne County6,6221218.5327%9%
27Hardin County16,4643118.4423%12%
28Louisa County10,6302018.3022%33%
29Madison County17,1613018.2337%20%
30Henry County19,3613517.5313%23%
31Allamakee County14,1842417.21–233%17%
32Plymouth County25,8254316.9628%23%
33Adams County3,606616.50——
34Shelby County11,8211916.21–228%11%
35Webster County36,9095916.1426%19%
36Jackson County19,3903116.0324%14%
37Jones County21,1163315.9524%14%
38Pocahontas County7,0061115.90——
39Poweshiek County18,4542915.748%24%
40Van Buren County7,2171115.31–227%9%
41Chickasaw County11,7191815.11–219%13%
42Crawford County16,3782515.01–214%18%
43Winneshiek County19,7233014.91–239%19%
44Fayette County19,1522914.8319%23%
45Tama County16,7382514.71–232%23%
46O'Brien County14,2602014.31–211%11%
47Franklin County10,0241413.91–231%8%
48Keokuk County9,8551413.91–214%7%
49Lucas County8,7581213.91–236%0%
50Cerro Gordo County42,4935913.8729%26%
51Appanoose County12,1061713.8038%38%
52Montgomery County10,0631413.81–225%8%
53Marshall County40,3925513.7433%10%
54Mahaska County22,0343013.51–217%13%
55Washington County22,6313013.4816%4%
56Calhoun County9,7111313.31–246%8%
57Taylor County5,825813.30——
58Mitchell County10,6321413.21–243%7%
59Union County11,9551613.11–231%23%
60Cherokee County11,6581513.1047%33%
61Grundy County12,4051613.0025%25%
62Kossuth County14,4081912.9333%17%
63Delaware County17,6092212.71–210%0%
64Pottawattamie County93,52911812.6917%20%
65Butler County14,1561812.51–247%27%
66Lyon County12,3781512.51–220%0%
67Palo Alto County8,8091112.31–240%10%
68Boone County26,7293212.1330%23%
69Hancock County10,6161312.11–242%17%
70Jasper County38,1074512.0420%29%
71Emmet County9,1621111.8027%0%
72Wapello County35,6814111.6419%11%
73Dickinson County18,1582011.41–228%11%
74Carroll County20,4072311.3427%18%
75Muscatine County42,1324811.2919%21%
76Marion County34,0483711.1428%25%
77Buchanan County20,7332311.01–227%14%
78Wright County12,7291411.01–236%18%
79Warren County56,3435610.7435%14%
80Clinton County46,0155010.7731%12%
81Page County15,0381610.51–227%13%
82Sioux County36,5543710.4318%18%
83Clay County16,4741710.41–220%20%
84Guthrie County10,7741110.31–218%18%
85Buena Vista County20,816209.8313%13%
86Winnebago County10,383109.5340%40%
87Scott County175,6011649.42323%29%
88Woodbury County107,257928.81131%38%
89Howard County9,36088.60——
90Bremer County25,328218.4024%10%
91Jefferson County15,781148.31–27%14%
92Black Hawk County132,3481037.81514%18%
93Des Moines County38,411297.4335%7%
94Polk County516,1853376.94727%32%
95Linn County231,7621546.81833%26%
96Dubuque County99,242666.71119%26%
97Dallas County115,343606.11–230%19%
98Johnson County160,080805.2823%22%
99Story County102,498464.7423%21%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 80Interstate16518817%24%
2US Route 30US highway759125%17%
3Interstate 35Interstate667426%15%
4US Route 61US highway636716%19%
5US Route 34US highway607030%8%
6US Route 6US highway566221%25%
7US Route 20US highway556415%22%
8US Route 218US highway495320%14%
9US Route 65US highway485225%17%
10US Route 69US highway485415%17%
11Interstate 29Interstate434930%21%
12US Route 18US highway414817%7%
13US Route 151US highway394815%13%
14Interstate 380Interstate394431%23%
15US Route 63US highway343924%12%
16State Route 2State highway344344%15%
17US Route 71US highway303117%7%
18State Route 3State highway272830%15%
19State Route 92State highway273133%4%
20State Route 163State highway262823%15%
21US Route 75US highway252624%8%
22US Route 59US highway222714%0%
23US Route 169US highway222227%5%
24State Route 14State highway202630%10%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 24 routes in Iowa qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in Iowa by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 3,136 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Friday16%
Sunday15%
Monday14%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday13%
Thursday12%

Light condition

Daylight54%
Dark, not lighted28%
Dark, lighted11%
Dusk4%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown1%

Road type

Other principal arterial29%
Major collector20%
Minor arterial17%
Local16%
Interstate11%
Minor collector6%
Other freeways and expressways0%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Iowa in 2024?

356 people in 324 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 3,477.

How does Iowa compare with the national rate?

10.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 11.0 against 11.5.

Which counties in Iowa have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Polk County (337), Scott County (164) and Linn County (154). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in Iowa involved alcohol or speeding?

25.4% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 20.2% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Iowa have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 80 (165 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 30 (75 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and Interstate 35 (66 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.