NHTSA FARS 2020–2024
Deadliest Highways and Roads in Iowa
Quick answer: I-80 is the deadliest road in Iowa: 81 people died in crashes on it from 2020 to 2024, the worst stretch being near Polk County (9 deaths within about 7 miles). Next: I-35 (31) and US-34 (30).
| # | Road | Deaths | Fatal crashes | 2020 · 2024 | Deadliest ~7-mile stretch | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-80 Interstate · live page |
81 | 73 | 20 → 8 | near Polk County: 9 deaths map | Pottawattamie County, Polk County, Dallas County, Cedar County |
| 2 | I-35 Interstate · live page |
31 | 28 | 2 → 9 | near Story County: 4 deaths map | Polk County, Worth County, Warren County, Story County |
| 3 | US-34 U.S. Highway |
30 | 24 | 9 → 3 | near Union County: 3 deaths map | Union County, Des Moines County, Wapello County, Mills County |
| 4 | US-30 U.S. Highway |
24 | 20 | 0 → 6 | near Clinton County: 3 deaths map | Boone County, Story County, Clinton County, Linn County |
| 5 | I-29 Interstate |
22 | 20 | 5 → 0 | — | Pottawattamie County, Harrison County, Woodbury County, Fremont County |
| 6 | US-20 U.S. Highway |
21 | 14 | 6 → 2 | near Grundy County: 5 deaths map | Grundy County, Woodbury County, Hardin County, Hamilton County |
| 7 | US-61 U.S. Highway |
19 | 17 | 2 → 5 | — | Jackson County, Lee County, Muscatine County, Scott County |
| 8 | US-63 U.S. Highway |
18 | 16 | 2 → 2 | near Chickasaw County: 3 deaths map | Wapello County, Mahaska County, Chickasaw County, Davis County |
| 9 | SR-2 State Highway |
18 | 14 | 5 → 6 | — | Fremont County, Page County, Decatur County, Lee County |
| 10 | I-380 Interstate |
16 | 16 | 5 → 2 | near Linn County: 4 deaths map | Linn County, Black Hawk County, Buchanan County, Johnson County |
| 11 | US-75 U.S. Highway |
15 | 14 | 3 → 3 | near Plymouth County: 3 deaths map | Plymouth County, Sioux County, Lyon County, Pottawattamie County |
| 12 | SR-92 State Highway |
14 | 12 | 6 → 0 | near Louisa County: 3 deaths map | Louisa County, Keokuk County, Madison County, Marion County |
| 13 | US-151 U.S. Highway |
14 | 11 | 0 → 6 | near Jones County: 4 deaths map | Linn County, Jones County, Dubuque County, Benton County |
| 14 | SR-1 State Highway |
13 | 11 | 1 → 5 | near Johnson County: 3 deaths map | Johnson County, Washington County, Jefferson County, Linn County |
| 15 | US-65 U.S. Highway |
13 | 12 | 1 → 3 | near Polk County: 3 deaths map | Polk County, Franklin County, Cerro Gordo County, Worth County |
| 16 | US-218 U.S. Highway |
13 | 12 | 3 → 5 | — | Black Hawk County, Lee County, Benton County, Washington County |
| 17 | US-6 U.S. Highway |
12 | 12 | 2 → 5 | — | Polk County, Iowa County, Dallas County, Jasper County |
| 18 | SR-163 State Highway |
12 | 10 | 1 → 2 | near Mahaska County: 3 deaths map | Mahaska County, Polk County, Jasper County, Marion County |
| 19 | US-69 U.S. Highway |
12 | 11 | 1 → 4 | — | Decatur County, Warren County, Winnebago County, Polk County |
| 20 | US-71 U.S. Highway |
11 | 10 | 3 → 3 | — | Dickinson County, Buena Vista County, Clay County, Page County |
| 21 | SR-14 State Highway |
10 | 7 | 1 → 1 | near Marion County: 6 deaths map | Marion County, Butler County, Wayne County |
| 22 | US-59 U.S. Highway |
10 | 9 | 1 → 0 | near Crawford County: 3 deaths map | Shelby County, Crawford County, Osceola County, Cherokee County |
| 23 | SR-141 State Highway |
9 | 8 | 1 → 0 | — | Dallas County, Carroll County, Monona County |
| 24 | SR-38 State Highway |
8 | 6 | 2 → 1 | near Muscatine County: 5 deaths map | Muscatine County, Jones County, Cedar County |
| 25 | I-235 Interstate |
8 | 8 | 2 → 1 | near Polk County: 5 deaths map | Polk County |
| 26 | US-169 U.S. Highway |
6 | 6 | 3 → 0 | — | Madison County, Webster County, Kossuth County |
| 27 | US-67 U.S. Highway |
5 | 5 | 0 → 3 | — | Clinton County, Scott County, Jackson County |
| 28 | SR-9 State Highway |
5 | 5 | 0 → 2 | — | Allamakee County, Emmet County, Lyon County, Winneshiek County |
| 29 | SR-330 State Highway |
5 | 3 | 0 → 3 | — | Marshall County, Jasper County |
| 30 | US-18 U.S. Highway |
4 | 4 | 2 → 1 | — | Kossuth County, Clay County, Cerro Gordo County |
| 31 | SR-3 State Highway |
4 | 4 | 2 → 0 | — | Plymouth County, Wright County, Franklin County |
| 32 | SR-5 State Highway |
4 | 4 | 0 → 1 | — | Marion County, Warren County, Polk County, Monroe County |
| 33 | SR-146 State Highway |
4 | 3 | 0 → 1 | — | Poweshiek County |
| 34 | SR-60 State Highway |
4 | 4 | 0 → 0 | — | Osceola County, O'Brien County, Sioux County |
| 35 | SR-22 State Highway |
4 | 3 | 0 → 1 | — | Muscatine County, Washington County |
| 36 | SR-37 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 1 → 2 | — | Shelby County, Monona County |
| 37 | SR-13 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 1 → 0 | — | Delaware County, Clayton County |
| 38 | US-52 U.S. Highway |
3 | 3 | 1 → 1 | — | Jackson County, Clayton County |
| 39 | SR-25 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 2 → 0 | — | Adair County, Guthrie County |
| 40 | SR-64 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 1 → 0 | — | Jones County |
| 41 | I-280 Interstate |
3 | 3 | 1 → 0 | — | Scott County |
| 42 | SR-17 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 0 → 0 | — | Polk County, Dallas County, Wright County |
| 43 | I-218 Interstate |
3 | 1 | 0 → 0 | near Henry County: 3 deaths map | Henry County |
| 44 | I-74 Interstate |
3 | 2 | 0 → 0 | near Scott County: 3 deaths map | Scott County |
| 45 | SR-127 State Highway |
3 | 1 | 0 → 0 | near Harrison County: 3 deaths map | Harrison County |
Deaths = people killed in crashes on the road, 2020–2024. A crash counts for the first signed Interstate, US or State route of its location; county and unsigned roads are not ranked because their numbers repeat. The stretch is the ~7-mile square with the most deaths on that road. Source: NHTSA FARS.
More for Iowa: most dangerous counties · Iowa accidents today · every state · crash history along your route
Questions
Deadliest roads — FAQ
What is the deadliest highway in Iowa?
I-80 is the deadliest road in Iowa: 81 people died in crashes on it from 2020 to 2024, the worst stretch being near Polk County (9 deaths within about 7 miles). Next: I-35 (31) and US-34 (30). Long, busy highways lead on totals; the deadliest-stretch column shows where on each road the deaths cluster.
Why is there no deaths-per-mile figure?
FARS records where each fatal crash happened but not how long each route is or how much traffic it carries, so we show totals and the worst ~7-mile stretch rather than a rate we would have to estimate.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which records every fatal crash on US public roads, for 2020–2024. Each crash is credited to the first signed Interstate, US or State route of its trafficway.