Fatal Roads

States › Montana

MT

State

Montana

Residents 1,137,233Deaths 2024 206Deaths 2015–2024 2,046Counties 56Routes with pages 12

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, 206 people died in 193 fatal crashes in Montana; the ten years 2015–2024 total 2,046 deaths in 1,864 crashes.

That is 18.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 60% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total fell 10% from 2,266 in 2005–2014 to 2,046 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, alcohol (a driver reported as drinking) stands out most: 43.9% of fatal crashes against 26.3% nationally. 83.5% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 41.8% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Big Horn County (99.1), Jefferson County (42.1) and Glacier County (40.2).

206deaths in 2024193 fatal crashes
18.9per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
-10%ten-year change in deaths2,266 → 2,046
44%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0169338197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 291 deaths1976: 299 deaths1977: 316 deaths1978: 270 deaths1979: 332 deaths1980: 325 deaths1981: 338 deaths1982: 254 deaths1983: 286 deaths1984: 238 deaths1985: 223 deaths1986: 222 deaths1987: 234 deaths1988: 198 deaths1989: 181 deaths1990: 212 deaths1991: 200 deaths1992: 192 deaths1993: 195 deaths1994: 202 deaths1995: 215 deaths1996: 200 deaths1997: 265 deaths1998: 237 deaths1999: 220 deaths2000: 237 deaths2001: 230 deaths2002: 269 deaths2003: 262 deaths2004: 229 deaths2005: 251 deaths2006: 264 deaths2007: 277 deaths2008: 229 deaths2009: 221 deaths2010: 189 deaths2011: 209 deaths2012: 205 deaths2013: 229 deaths2014: 192 deaths2015: 224 deaths2016: 190 deaths2017: 186 deaths2018: 181 deaths2019: 184 deaths2020: 213 deaths2021: 239 deaths2022: 215 deaths2023: 208 deaths2024: 206 deaths
People killed in crashes in Montana by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 206 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

015302000200520102015202020242000: 26.22001: 25.42002: 29.52003: 28.52004: 24.62005: 26.72006: 27.72007: 28.72008: 23.52009: 22.52010: 19.12011: 212012: 20.42013: 22.62014: 18.82015: 21.72016: 18.22017: 17.62018: 172019: 17.22020: 19.62021: 21.62022: 19.22023: 18.42024: 18.1
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Montana and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 18.1. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureMontanaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202418.911.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202418.111.5
Deaths, 2015–20242,046389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years-10%+7%
Share of the national toll0.5%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking43.9%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver35.8%
Pedestriansshare of people killed7.5%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed13%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used63.3%
In darknesscrashes after dark41.8%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads83.5%

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
1Treasure County73910139.51–2——
2Big Horn County12,79613099.11051%25%
3Garfield County1,1811080.71–240%50%
4Judith Basin County2,1111679.5027%73%
5Granite County3,6022265.11–233%24%
6Golden Valley County863560.21–2——
7Rosebud County8,1944754.2342%40%
8Mineral County5,1952554.21–225%29%
9Powder River County1,734952.10——
10Chouteau County5,8802848.1350%30%
11Carter County1,399646.00——
12Prairie County1,112545.30——
13Powell County7,1203144.6043%39%
14Jefferson County13,3045242.1740%29%
15Meagher County2,065841.61–2——
16Glacier County13,5035540.2572%48%
17Carbon County11,4984238.7446%39%
18Phillips County4,2141638.61–250%63%
19Sweet Grass County3,7571437.91–243%57%
20Roosevelt County10,1974036.91–266%40%
21McCone County1,717635.30——
22Musselshell County5,4521734.8320%40%
23Sanders County13,8954334.5361%32%
24Beaverhead County10,0063334.5636%13%
25Madison County9,7532933.01–224%45%
26Stillwater County9,4502931.1733%37%
27Broadwater County8,3022130.9441%35%
28Valley County7,4342229.3053%27%
29Lake County33,4039028.7950%30%
30Park County18,0744828.2459%36%
31Pondera County6,0781626.6343%50%
32Lincoln County22,1844823.5341%30%
33Blaine County6,9031623.41–267%60%
34Deer Lodge County9,8112122.4530%30%
35Petroleum County525119.60——
36Fergus County11,8622219.2058%32%
37Dawson County8,7311617.9044%38%
38Daniels County1,625317.90——
39Teton County6,4441117.71–264%46%
40Sheridan County3,448617.10——
41Flathead County114,52717816.92346%30%
42Hill County16,0652414.71–236%36%
43Wheatland County2,058314.30——
44Missoula County122,54616513.91536%34%
45Yellowstone County171,58320312.42443%41%
46Cascade County84,52310312.41141%43%
47Custer County11,9641311.0331%15%
48Lewis and Clark County75,1297710.9633%34%
49Richland County11,0281210.7055%55%
50Ravalli County48,1874610.3436%44%
51Wibaux County911110.30——
52Silver Bow County36,1343610.2327%29%
53Toole County5,153510.00——
54Gallatin County126,9841089.32149%42%
55Liberty County1,93429.20——
56Fallon County2,94600.00——

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 90Interstate19321432%34%
2US Route 93US highway11612632%37%
3US Route 2US highway10312337%23%
4US Route 87US highway648131%34%
5Interstate 15Interstate616525%30%
6US Route 212US highway556349%24%
7State Route 200State highway454642%31%
8US Route 12US highway434726%33%
9US Route 89US highway353751%51%
10Interstate 94Interstate313939%45%
11US Route 191US highway242538%33%
12State Route MTState highway232552%30%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 12 routes in Montana 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 Montana by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 1,855 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday18%
Friday16%
Sunday16%
Monday14%
Thursday13%
Tuesday12%
Wednesday11%

Light condition

Daylight54%
Dark, not lighted35%
Dark, lighted6%
Dusk3%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial33%
Interstate17%
Local16%
Minor arterial15%
Major collector15%
Minor collector4%
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 Montana in 2024?

206 people in 193 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 2,046.

How does Montana compare with the national rate?

18.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 18.1 against 11.5.

Which counties in Montana have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Yellowstone County (203), Flathead County (178) and Missoula County (165). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

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

43.9% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 35.8% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Montana have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 90 (193 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 93 (116 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 2 (103 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.