Fatal Roads

States › Texas › 2020

2020

Texas · year

Texas in 2020

Deaths 3,876Fatal crashes 3,522Per 100,000 13.3US deaths 39,007

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. Final FARS file for 2020.

In 2020, 3,876 people died in 3,522 fatal crashes in Texas, 13.3 deaths per 100,000 residents against 11.8 nationally.

The death toll rose 7% from 3,619 in 2019 to 3,876 in 2020.

Texas accounted for 9.9% of the 39,007 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

24.9% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

By FHWA road function class, the largest share was on other principal arterial roads (30%).

35% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Sunday was the most common day.

← 201920202021 →All years

Compared with 2019 and the nation

MeasureTexas 2020Texas 2019United States 2020
Deaths3,8763,61939,007
Fatal crashes3,5223,29635,935
Deaths per 100,000 residents13.312.511.8
Crashes with a drinking driver25%24%27%

Counties in 2020

Every county with a fatal crash in 2020, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 230 counties listed.

CountyFatal crashesDeathsPer 100,000Deaths 2015–2024
Harris County4574929.84,851
Dallas County30533112.53,126
Bexar County1821959.22,051
Tarrant County1821908.51,901
Travis County12614010.31,404
El Paso County69819.2816
Collin County57645.1576
Denton County55595.6521
Ector County515733.5484
Smith County495722.9562
Montgomery County51537.1606
Ellis County435021.5326
Bell County484912.3482
Jefferson County484818.9409
Hidalgo County43475.1638
Brazoria County414410.6411
Williamson County39435.9465
Lubbock County384313.1478
Galveston County383910.6411
Nueces County363911.0445
McLennan County323312.2342
Orange County293338.3212
Kaufman County293216.2273
Fort Bend County30313.2389
Hays County293010.3302
Liberty County212925.2251
Bastrop County242824.4287
Cameron County23286.5338
Gregg County252721.3262
Midland County252714.7405
Hunt County242621.9257
Harrison County212636.4212
Grayson County222315.3245
Upshur County202249.9113
Comal County202110.4203
Potter County202118.3250
Victoria County202122.8158
Parker County182111.7241
Johnson County19209.5274
Wharton County142047.6138
Taylor County191912.8207
Fayette County121974.5135
Brazos County18187.2177
Waller County171827.6136
Bowie County161819.6159
Henderson County151820.6185
Rusk County161731.8173
Van Zandt County161726.0174
Nacogdoches County161624.3164
Tom Green County151613.3143
Wilson County151527.170
Guadalupe County14157.7197
Hill County131538.7139
Polk County131527.6165
Webb County14145.1263
Howard County131445.4103
Randall County13149.3136
San Patricio County131419.6137
Caldwell County131324.8125
Cass County131345.496
Coryell County131315.1109
Navarro County121323.0110
Wichita County121310.0148
Gonzales County111364.9101
Kerr County101324.1105
Reeves County1013108.7154
Walker County101315.5166
Cherokee County121222.5126
Palo Pinto County111239.779
Wood County111224.6110
Eastland County101265.687
Angelina County111112.5176
Freestone County111153.3110
Lamar County111121.5112
Wise County111113.5200
Hardin County101118.7111
Grimes County91132.9134
Milam County91142.1107
Chambers County81119.6147
Titus County71134.979
Scurry County61167.946
Jasper County101030.495
Atascosa County91018.9105
Colorado County91046.6100
Matagorda County91027.596
Panola County91043.4115
Crockett County810357.348
Shelby County51041.380
Austin County9927.764
Burnet County9916.2113
Carson County99154.655
Fannin County9923.3134
Hood County9913.096
Erath County8920.2139
Hopkins County8923.2102
Houston County8940.587
Hudspeth County79249.497
Washington County6923.894
Uvalde County4935.867
Gaines County8834.979
San Jacinto County8827.395
Jackson County7852.366
Medina County7814.4127
Ward County7872.5101
Winkler County78108.473
Robertson County6845.365
Nolan County5856.480
Anderson County7711.8128
Brown County7718.155
Leon County7741.9113
Limestone County7731.056
Callahan County6747.984
Newton County6758.849
Rockwall County675.180
Tyler County6734.072
Bee County5722.450
Sherman County57252.627
Bosque County6631.650
Burleson County6629.775
Dimmit County6673.361
Falls County6633.863
Frio County6630.769
Kendall County6611.673
Kimble County66136.366
Madison County6643.265
Martin County66115.9106
Runnels County6661.539
Camp County5645.631
Live Oak County5650.170
Oldham County56329.151
Blanco County4644.961
Crane County1–26130.630
Bandera County5521.956
Clay County5546.640
Cooke County5511.3112
Gillespie County5517.875
Gray County5523.948
Jones County5524.059
Marion County5551.546
Moore County5522.950
Morris County5541.041
Real County55180.428
Calhoun County4525.128
DeWitt County4524.746
Hale County4515.650
Jim Wells County4512.996
Pecos County4534.098
Archer County4443.731
Brooks County4459.335
Goliad County4455.428
Kleberg County4413.143
Knox County44122.913
Lampasas County4417.054
Lee County4421.768
Mitchell County4444.637
Montague County4418.363
Rains County4430.130
Red River County4434.252
Sabine County4439.832
Andrews County3421.1101
Deaf Smith County3421.632
Haskell County3473.619
Llano County3417.359
Val Verde County348.354
Brewster County1–2442.118
Comanche County1–2427.958
Loving County1–248,333.333
Upton County1–24127.929
Baylor County3384.918
Coleman County3337.545
Culberson County33133.157
Dallam County3339.928
Hartley County3360.059
Hockley County3314.059
Karnes County3319.861
McCulloch County3340.328
Maverick County335.174
Refugio County3344.535
Starr County334.542
Trinity County3320.744
Young County3316.530
Borden County1–23538.612
Donley County1–2394.025
Kinney County1–2394.030
Lavaca County1–2314.647
Mason County1–2375.214
Reagan County1–2395.625
Bailey County1–21–2—13
Dawson County1–21–2—41
Franklin County1–21–2—32
Garza County1–21–2—24
Hall County1–21–2—10
Hutchinson County1–21–2—41
Lamb County1–21–2—39
Mills County1–21–2—25
Presidio County1–21–2—20
San Augustine County1–21–2—41
Stephens County1–21–2—14
Sutton County1–21–2—28
Wilbarger County1–21–2—56
Zavala County1–21–2—60
Armstrong County1–21–2—27
Hamilton County1–21–2—32
Terry County1–21–2—29
Aransas County1–21–2—51
Castro County1–21–2—18
Childress County1–21–2—23
Coke County1–21–2—14
Concho County1–21–2—25
Crosby County1–21–2—24
Dickens County1–21–2—10
Duval County1–21–2—42
Fisher County1–21–2—15
Floyd County1–21–2—16
Glasscock County1–21–2—38
Hardeman County1–21–2—13
Kenedy County1–21–2—20
La Salle County1–21–2—58
Lipscomb County1–21–2—4
Lynn County1–21–2—32
Menard County1–21–2—16
Motley County1–21–2—7
Ochiltree County1–21–2—17
Parmer County1–21–2—24
Somervell County1–21–2—42
Swisher County1–21–2—10
Terrell County1–21–2—14
Throckmorton County1–21–2—7
Wheeler County1–21–2—40
Willacy County1–21–2—36

Per 100,000 uses the 2024 population estimate for every year, so early-year rates are understated where a county has grown.

Hour of day

12am4.1%
1am4.1%
2am4.8%
3am3.5%
4am2.7%
5am3.6%
6am3.8%
7am3.9%
8am2.3%
9am2.4%
10am2.6%
11am3.1%
12pm3.3%
1pm3.4%
2pm3.5%
3pm4.5%
4pm4.7%
5pm4.5%
6pm6.4%
7pm5.4%
8pm5.9%
9pm6.6%
10pm5.8%
11pm5%

Weekday

Sunday18%
Monday13%
Tuesday12%
Wednesday13%
Thursday13%
Friday15%
Saturday17%

Road type

Other principal arterial30%
Minor arterial21%
Major collector20%
Interstate14%
Local8%
Other freeways and expressways5%
Minor collector2%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Texas in 2020?

3,876 people in 3,522 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 2020 file, or 13.3 per 100,000 residents.

Which county in Texas had the most crash deaths in 2020?

Harris County with 492 deaths in 457 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 2020 compare with 2019 in Texas?

3,876 deaths against 3,619 in 2019 (+7%). Nationally the 2020 total was 39,007.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2020 national file (accident table, vehicle and person tables); US Census Bureau population estimates. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.