Fatal Roads

States › West Virginia

WV

State

West Virginia

Residents 1,769,979Deaths 2024 256Deaths 2015–2024 2,726Counties 55Routes with pages 23

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.

West Virginia recorded 256 deaths in 238 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 2,726 deaths over 2015–2024.

That is 15.2 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 29% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total fell 23% from 3,547 in 2005–2014 to 2,726 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, alcohol (a driver reported as drinking) stands out most: 27.2% of fatal crashes against 26.3% nationally. 64.4% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 38.3% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Hampshire County (27.8), Nicholas County (25.5) and Wayne County (21.9).

256deaths in 2024238 fatal crashes
15.2per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
-23%ten-year change in deaths3,547 → 2,726
27%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0262523197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 461 deaths1976: 489 deaths1977: 514 deaths1978: 457 deaths1979: 512 deaths1980: 523 deaths1981: 410 deaths1982: 450 deaths1983: 425 deaths1984: 438 deaths1985: 420 deaths1986: 440 deaths1987: 471 deaths1988: 460 deaths1989: 468 deaths1990: 481 deaths1991: 414 deaths1992: 420 deaths1993: 429 deaths1994: 356 deaths1995: 376 deaths1996: 348 deaths1997: 381 deaths1998: 354 deaths1999: 395 deaths2000: 411 deaths2001: 376 deaths2002: 439 deaths2003: 394 deaths2004: 410 deaths2005: 374 deaths2006: 410 deaths2007: 432 deaths2008: 378 deaths2009: 357 deaths2010: 315 deaths2011: 338 deaths2012: 339 deaths2013: 332 deaths2014: 272 deaths2015: 268 deaths2016: 269 deaths2017: 304 deaths2018: 294 deaths2019: 260 deaths2020: 267 deaths2021: 282 deaths2022: 266 deaths2023: 260 deaths2024: 256 deaths
People killed in crashes in West Virginia by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 256 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

012242000200520102015202020242000: 22.72001: 20.92002: 24.32003: 21.72004: 22.62005: 20.52006: 22.42007: 23.62008: 20.52009: 19.32010: 172011: 18.22012: 18.32013: 17.92014: 14.72015: 14.52016: 14.72017: 16.72018: 16.32019: 14.52020: 14.92021: 15.82022: 152023: 14.72024: 14.5
Deaths per 100,000 residents in West Virginia and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 14.5. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureWest VirginiaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202415.211.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202414.511.5
Deaths, 2015–20242,726389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years-23%+7%
Share of the national toll0.7%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking27.2%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver26.7%
Pedestriansshare of people killed8.7%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed12.4%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used53.2%
In darknesscrashes after dark38.3%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads64.4%

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
1Doddridge County7,6152631.909%23%
2Hardy County14,3354229.9625%33%
3Braxton County12,0513929.61–219%30%
4Lewis County16,4774829.2023%28%
5Grant County10,9713228.31–227%50%
6Hampshire County23,7936527.8523%21%
7Pendleton County5,9441827.61–228%33%
8Nicholas County24,0176325.5622%24%
9McDowell County17,1474424.0340%16%
10Roane County13,5403323.71–220%33%
11Tyler County7,8432023.71–239%33%
12Ritchie County8,1702123.1432%32%
13Wayne County37,5898621.9535%16%
14Clay County7,6891821.8012%35%
15Jackson County27,7186021.21–228%18%
16Logan County30,5606720.8516%21%
17Lincoln County19,3774120.1427%17%
18Pocahontas County7,6531619.71–227%20%
19Summers County11,5442419.5624%24%
20Greenbrier County31,8516318.7629%17%
21Barbour County15,3693018.71–232%18%
22Raleigh County72,37913718.42320%23%
23Boone County20,4963918.01–213%16%
24Calhoun County5,8731218.01–225%50%
25Monroe County12,4622317.81–236%32%
26Randolph County27,1905017.7427%13%
27Mason County24,7704617.7330%30%
28Mercer County57,52410117.0620%26%
29Mingo County21,7123916.7429%24%
30Upshur County23,6504016.61–228%11%
31Webster County7,9471315.7031%39%
32Gilmer County7,1161215.61–233%50%
33Kanawha County173,90626814.92826%27%
34Fayette County38,6006214.91–226%29%
35Wirt County4,924814.80——
36Preston County34,0555014.71–239%24%
37Wetzel County13,7662114.21–243%29%
38Wyoming County19,9642913.8324%21%
39Jefferson County61,2647913.61130%22%
40Tucker County6,573913.20——
41Morgan County17,7802313.11–238%43%
42Cabell County91,48911712.5724%21%
43Berkeley County136,28714712.02133%40%
44Wood County82,75710011.91429%31%
45Mineral County26,7783211.8426%45%
46Putnam County57,0676210.9422%31%
47Harrison County64,4727210.8730%30%
48Pleasants County7,358810.70——
49Ohio County41,0904410.5746%46%
50Monongalia County108,69710710.01528%19%
51Marshall County29,354309.8629%50%
52Taylor County16,438159.01–240%27%
53Marion County55,649458.0328%37%
54Brooke County21,285156.81–250%14%
55Hancock County28,054155.21–221%29%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1US Route 60US highway9910519%18%
2Interstate 77Interstate9411420%32%
3Interstate 79Interstate9210611%16%
4US Route 50US highway8710012%16%
5US Route 119US highway879117%12%
6Interstate 64Interstate788622%35%
7State Route 2State highway778125%16%
8US Route 19US highway758825%28%
9State Route 16State highway576116%23%
10US Route 33US highway576119%19%
11State Route 10State highway495025%22%
12US Route 52US highway464828%24%
13US Route 219US highway455020%22%
14State Route 20State highway454840%18%
15State Route 3State highway364028%31%
16Interstate 81Interstate323847%41%
17State Route 9State highway323322%28%
18State Route 152State highway263219%0%
19State Route 62State highway252616%16%
20State Route 28State highway232617%35%
21US Route 250US highway232622%30%
22US Route 35US highway202310%25%
23State Route 14State highway202135%20%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 23 routes in West Virginia 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 West Virginia by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 2,514 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday16%
Friday15%
Thursday15%
Wednesday14%
Tuesday14%
Sunday14%
Monday13%

Light condition

Daylight58%
Dark, not lighted32%
Dark, lighted6%
Dusk2%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial25%
Major collector23%
Minor arterial22%
Interstate12%
Local12%
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 West Virginia in 2024?

256 people in 238 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 2,726.

How does West Virginia compare with the national rate?

15.2 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 14.5 against 11.5.

Which counties in West Virginia have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Kanawha County (268), Berkeley County (147) and Raleigh County (137). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in West Virginia involved alcohol or speeding?

27.2% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 26.7% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in West Virginia have the most fatal crashes?

US Route 60 (99 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 77 (94 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and Interstate 79 (92 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.