Fatal Roads

States › Kansas

KS

State

Kansas

Residents 2,970,606Deaths 2024 339Deaths 2015–2024 4,045Counties 105Routes with pages 32

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.

Kansas recorded 339 deaths in 314 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 4,045 deaths over 2015–2024.

That is 13.8 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 17% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total was about level between 2005–2014 (4,039) and 2015–2024 (4,045).

Relative to the national shares, speeding stands out most: 24.2% of fatal crashes against 27.2% nationally. 63.3% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 41.0% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Jefferson County (27.9), Sumner County (26.4) and Franklin County (25.1).

339deaths in 2024314 fatal crashes
13.8per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
0%ten-year change in deaths4,039 → 4,045
23%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0298595197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 509 deaths1976: 549 deaths1977: 552 deaths1978: 572 deaths1979: 519 deaths1980: 595 deaths1981: 580 deaths1982: 498 deaths1983: 411 deaths1984: 510 deaths1985: 486 deaths1986: 500 deaths1987: 491 deaths1988: 483 deaths1989: 428 deaths1990: 444 deaths1991: 409 deaths1992: 387 deaths1993: 428 deaths1994: 442 deaths1995: 442 deaths1996: 490 deaths1997: 482 deaths1998: 492 deaths1999: 540 deaths2000: 461 deaths2001: 494 deaths2002: 507 deaths2003: 469 deaths2004: 459 deaths2005: 428 deaths2006: 468 deaths2007: 416 deaths2008: 384 deaths2009: 386 deaths2010: 431 deaths2011: 386 deaths2012: 405 deaths2013: 350 deaths2014: 385 deaths2015: 355 deaths2016: 429 deaths2017: 461 deaths2018: 405 deaths2019: 410 deaths2020: 426 deaths2021: 423 deaths2022: 410 deaths2023: 387 deaths2024: 339 deaths
People killed in crashes in Kansas by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 339 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

09192000200520102015202020242000: 17.12001: 18.32002: 18.72003: 17.22004: 16.82005: 15.62006: 16.92007: 14.92008: 13.72009: 13.62010: 15.12011: 13.52012: 142013: 12.12014: 13.32015: 12.22016: 14.72017: 15.82018: 13.92019: 14.12020: 14.52021: 14.42022: 142023: 13.12024: 11.4
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Kansas and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 11.4. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureKansasUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202413.811.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202411.411.5
Deaths, 2015–20244,045389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years0%+7%
Share of the national toll1%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking22.5%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver24.2%
Pedestriansshare of people killed8.3%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed12.9%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used52.4%
In darknesscrashes after dark41%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads63.3%

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
1Chase County2,5072596.6027%23%
2Gove County2,6582593.21–219%10%
3Kiowa County2,4361977.1314%0%
4Clark County1,8731575.900%7%
5Wallace County1,4721066.60——
6Greeley County1,152864.70——
7Meade County3,8922561.51–230%15%
8Sheridan County2,3971560.81–233%27%
9Greenwood County5,8713456.7015%15%
10Wichita County2,0721152.1030%20%
11Hodgeman County1,673951.00——
12Republic County4,6132349.5321%21%
13Ellsworth County6,3163047.7015%8%
14Lane County1,482745.10——
15Gray County5,7302644.3417%13%
16Stanton County2,071944.00——
17Hamilton County2,4881143.6020%0%
18Brown County9,1424143.2429%11%
19Stafford County3,9011741.8020%40%
20Wilson County8,3983540.7330%19%
21Rush County2,8101240.41–225%17%
22Marion County11,6704638.8313%16%
23Thomas County7,8023038.3525%25%
24Jewell County2,8991138.0027%9%
25Wabaunsee County7,1122637.5323%27%
26Harper County5,4132036.41–212%29%
27Trego County2,7741035.7020%60%
28Pratt County9,1373335.6413%13%
29Edwards County2,7311035.51–260%10%
30Russell County6,6202435.2027%23%
31Woodson County3,1111135.21–218%9%
32Comanche County1,694634.70——
33Cheyenne County2,646934.11–2——
34Morris County5,2791833.0313%20%
35Chautauqua County3,3391132.900%10%
36Ness County2,617932.51–2——
37Rawlins County2,432832.01–2——
38Haskell County3,5911231.3018%27%
39Clay County7,9692429.8725%5%
40Norton County5,3351629.61–233%27%
41Pawnee County6,0121828.2019%13%
42Jefferson County18,3325227.9433%26%
43Stevens County5,0351527.91–28%15%
44Kingman County6,9462027.61–228%33%
45Sherman County5,7961627.11–29%9%
46Sumner County22,3366026.4422%18%
47Grant County7,0971925.9023%15%
48Phillips County4,7331325.61–223%8%
49Anderson County7,9082025.5018%24%
50Washington County5,5721425.41–231%8%
51Logan County2,694725.40——
52Barber County4,0701125.20——
53Franklin County26,2736525.1430%19%
54Jackson County13,5253324.8430%10%
55Linn County9,8412424.7042%37%
56Elk County2,436624.20——
57Ottawa County5,8531424.1031%8%
58Montgomery County30,4597624.01024%20%
59Kearny County3,808923.20——
60Dickinson County18,6214323.11–227%30%
61Osborne County3,353822.90——
62Cherokee County19,1334422.4423%15%
63Decatur County2,716621.50——
64Labette County19,6924221.01–229%15%
65Osage County15,7373320.91–228%28%
66Graham County2,370520.41–2——
67Rice County9,2841920.01–222%6%
68Cloud County8,7231719.11–225%44%
69McPherson County30,3345619.0422%27%
70Neosho County15,5523018.967%11%
71Morton County2,485518.71–2——
72Doniphan County7,5751418.41–243%43%
73Rooks County4,748918.20——
74Coffey County8,3011518.11–27%21%
75Scott County4,914918.10——
76Atchison County16,2492817.2516%32%
77Harvey County33,6425716.7521%27%
78Seward County21,2763516.0425%19%
79Ford County34,0725415.91–220%17%
80Cowley County34,1865415.5714%20%
81Miami County35,7375215.2426%28%
82Marshall County9,9501515.21–233%7%
83Lyon County32,5204915.0426%30%
84Nemaha County10,0621514.81–233%7%
85Wyandotte County169,41824514.72123%46%
86Pottawatomie County26,8763614.41–221%35%
87Allen County12,4251814.4327%7%
88Butler County69,1589514.1721%24%
89Crawford County38,9045413.9637%17%
90Smith County3,541513.91–2——
91Leavenworth County84,67011113.5725%28%
92Saline County53,4597213.3728%33%
93Reno County61,4178213.2524%21%
94Barton County24,8353413.21–212%18%
95Bourbon County14,4241913.11–222%33%
96Geary County35,4594412.6524%32%
97Finney County38,3544612.31–212%16%
98Sedgwick County536,08161111.76119%29%
99Shawnee County177,94219711.12421%24%
100Mitchell County5,803610.10——
101Ellis County29,007258.7429%13%
102Douglas County121,989867.1834%25%
103Riley County72,557506.8426%15%
104Johnson County632,2762614.32321%28%
105Lincoln County2,92813.40——

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 70Interstate18321819%24%
2Interstate 35Interstate12013419%23%
3US Route 54US highway10413319%13%
4US Route 24US highway8710217%13%
5US Route 50US highway8310021%12%
6US Route 56US highway698323%20%
7US Route 75US highway667721%12%
8US Route 160US highway647614%8%
9Interstate 135Interstate576323%37%
10US Route 69US highway515820%26%
11US Route 169US highway505722%16%
12US Route 400US highway476323%17%
13US Route 59US highway384726%11%
14US Route 36US highway373716%11%
15Interstate 435Interstate363719%17%
16US Route 77US highway36376%14%
17US Route 166US highway354120%20%
18US Route 83US highway343621%18%
19State Route 7State highway323228%22%
20State Route 15State highway303717%17%
21US Route 73US highway303417%10%
22US Route 81US highway283314%4%
23State Route 96State highway273022%15%
24State Route 4State highway273122%7%
25US Route 40US highway25354%12%
26US Route 183US highway232417%13%
27US Route 281US highway232513%13%
28Interstate 235Interstate232426%44%
29State Route 14State highway222427%18%
30State Route 254State highway222614%9%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 32 routes in Kansas 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 Kansas by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 3,548 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Friday16%
Sunday15%
Wednesday14%
Monday13%
Thursday13%
Tuesday12%

Light condition

Daylight54%
Dark, not lighted26%
Dark, lighted15%
Dusk2%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial24%
Minor arterial21%
Major collector19%
Local16%
Interstate13%
Other freeways and expressways5%
Minor collector2%

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 Kansas in 2024?

339 people in 314 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 4,045.

How does Kansas compare with the national rate?

13.8 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 11.4 against 11.5.

Which counties in Kansas have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Sedgwick County (611), Johnson County (261) and Wyandotte County (245). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

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

22.5% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 24.2% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Kansas have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 70 (183 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 35 (120 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 54 (104 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.