Most Dangerous Intersections in Des Moines, IA
Quick answer: from 4 Sep 2026 – 19 Oct 2026, the location with the most reported crashes in Des Moines, IA was Near East 30th St Measuring 90 Feet North Of University Avenue with 71, followed by Near Ramp I 235 W To 19th St, N (68). These are crash counts from Iowa Department of Transportation — Crash Data (Traffic Safety open data, CC BY 4.0), not risk rates: busier junctions see more crashes partly because more cars use them.
This city's tally covers 46 days so far. Its open-data feed is large, so we add each day as it is published until a full year is in; the order below can still change.
Top 20 crash locations in Des Moines, IA
| # | Location | Reported crashes | Injured | Killed | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Near East 30th St Measuring 90 Feet North Of University Avenue (road segment) | 71 | 0 | 0 | open |
| 2 | Near Ramp I 235 W To 19th St, N (road segment) | 68 | 22 | 0 | open |
| 3 | Near 2nd Ave And Grand Ave (road segment) | 68 | 11 | 0 | open |
| 4 | Near East Watrous Ave Measuring 108 Feet West From Us 69 S (road segment) | 64 | 42 | 0 | open |
| 5 | Near Ramp Mlk Jr Parkway, S To S To State Of Iowa, I 235 E (road segment) | 56 | 33 | 0 | open |
| 6 | Near Washington Ave And Mlk Jr Parkway (road segment) | 53 | 11 | 18 | open |
| 7 | Near Mlk Jr Parkway And Ramp I 235 E To 19th St, N (road segment) | 53 | 21 | 0 | open |
| 8 | Near University Ave And 19th St (road segment) | 52 | 0 | 0 | open |
| 9 | Near 9th St And University Ave (road segment) | 49 | 24 | 0 | open |
| 10 | Near Ramp 42nd St, S To S To State Of Iowa, I 235 E And 42nd St (road segment) | 47 | 0 | 0 | open |
| 11 | Near Merle Hay Rd And Douglas Ave (road segment) | 47 | 0 | 0 | open |
| 12 | Near Des Moines St And Us 69 N (road segment) | 44 | 3 | 0 | open |
| 13 | Near 31st St And Ramp 31st St, N To N To State Of Iowa, I 235 E And Ramp I 235 E To 31st St, N (road segment) | 44 | 8 | 0 | open |
| 14 | Near Easton Blvd And East 21st St And Delaware Ave (road segment) | 43 | 9 | 0 | open |
| 15 | Near Us 6 W Measuring 785 Feet East From Mlk Jr Parkway (road segment) | 43 | 43 | 0 | open |
| 16 | Near Capitol Ave And Us 69 N (road segment) | 41 | 0 | 0 | open |
| 17 | Near Us 6 E Measuring 79 Feet East From 4th St (road segment) | 40 | 20 | 0 | open |
| 18 | Near Ia 163 E And East 33rd St And Iowa State Fairgrounds (road segment) | 39 | 58 | 0 | open |
| 19 | Near Pennsylvania Ave And East University Ave (road segment) | 38 | 17 | 0 | open |
| 20 | Near Ingersoll Ave Measuring 58 Feet West From 18th St (road segment) | 38 | 20 | 0 | open |
6,548 crashes with a location were counted across 46 days. Each spot is about 135 m across; the name is the one the police most often recorded there. Source: Iowa Department of Transportation — Crash Data (Traffic Safety open data, CC BY 4.0).
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