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NHTSA FARS 2020–2024 · Census population

Most Dangerous Counties in Iowa

Quick answer: Polk County recorded the most road deaths in Iowa from 2020 to 2024 (202), while Iowa County had the highest death rate, 25.4 per 100,000 residents a year against 11 for the state as a whole.

Per 100,000 residents a year · counties with 10,000+ people

Highest death rate

#CountyDeaths per 100k / yearDeaths 2020–2024Population
1Iowa County25.42116,507
2Louisa County24.41310,678
3Jones County222320,896
4Harrison County21.91614,632
5Cedar County21.82018,349
6Plymouth County212725,747
7Madison County20.11716,926
8Clayton County201717,013
9Cass County19.91313,096
10Montgomery County19.61010,214
11Mills County19.21414,568
12Allamakee County18.51314,092
13Hardin County181516,639
14Lee County17.62932,893
15Benton County17.12225,724
99 counties · click a heading to sort

Every county in Iowa

CountyDeathsFatal crashesPer 100k / yrPedestriansAt nightAlcohol2020→2024Deadliest roads
Polk County202181815%51%25%I-80, I-235, I-35
Scott County948310.819%60%18%I-80, I-280, I-74
Linn County85767.49%36%41%I-380, US-151, US-30
Pottawattamie County56561218%38%20%I-80, I-29, US-92
Black Hawk County53508.18%32%10%US-218, I-380, SR-58
Woodbury County43398.17%46%31%US-20, I-29, SR-31
Dallas County40367.45%47%25%I-80, SR-141, US-6
Johnson County35344.514%44%24%I-80, SR-1, I-380
Dubuque County34306.99%33%23%US-151, US-61, US-20
Muscatine County302714.13%44%22%SR-38, US-61, SR-22
Clinton County3022133%45%32%US-30, US-67, US-61
Lee County292717.614%41%33%US-61, SR-2, US-218
Plymouth County2724214%50%33%US-75, SR-3, SR-12
Marshall County2622138%27%32%SR-330, US-30
Warren County25239.24%35%22%I-35, US-69, SR-316
Marion County241914.30%37%16%SR-14, SR-92, SR-5
Sioux County232012.79%55%15%US-75, SR-60
Jones County2322220%45%32%US-151, SR-64, SR-38
Jasper County222011.60%45%20%I-80, SR-163, SR-330
Benton County222117.10%38%10%US-218, US-30, US-151
Cerro Gordo County222110.318%43%24%US-65, US-18, I-35
Webster County222111.95%38%19%US-169, SR-7, US-20
Story County21184.210%22%28%I-35, US-30, US-65
Iowa County212125.40%29%19%I-80, US-6, SR-149
Cedar County201821.85%44%22%I-80, SR-38, US-30
Fremont County201961.410%21%37%SR-2, I-29, US-275
Wapello County201911.35%21%21%US-63, US-34, SR-16
Boone County191714.20%18%18%US-30
Madison County171720.112%59%35%US-169, SR-92
Clayton County1717206%6%18%US-52, SR-13, SR-18
Washington County171315.16%31%15%SR-1, US-218, SR-92
Harrison County161221.96%25%50%I-29, SR-127
Mahaska County151313.60%46%8%US-63, SR-163, US-62
Hardin County1512180%42%25%US-20, SR-175, US-65
Jackson County151415.513%64%21%US-61, US-52, SR-62
Winneshiek County151215.17%25%33%SR-24, SR-9
Fayette County141214.57%25%8%SR-150
Carroll County141313.60%46%23%SR-141, US-30
Mills County141219.20%50%50%US-34, I-29
Adair County131134.90%36%9%I-80, SR-25, SR-92
Cass County131019.90%40%40%I-80, US-6
Louisa County131124.40%18%9%SR-92, US-61, SR-78
Allamakee County131318.50%31%15%SR-9, SR-51, SR-76
Henry County1310130%10%0%I-218, US-34, US-218
Greene County131229.98%58%17%US-30
Poweshiek County1312140%17%0%SR-146, I-80, SR-85
Bremer County12129.50%33%25%SR-93, US-218
Hamilton County121216.10%75%42%I-35, US-20, US-69
Des Moines County12126.225%25%25%US-34, US-61
Kossuth County111115.20%27%45%US-18, US-169
Humboldt County11922.90%56%44%
Floyd County11914.40%44%33%SR-27
Butler County111015.40%50%50%SR-14
Delaware County10911.40%11%22%SR-13
Clay County10912.10%0%11%US-71, US-18
Wright County10715.60%43%29%SR-3, SR-17, US-69
O'Brien County101014.20%40%10%US-59, SR-60
Montgomery County10919.620%33%22%US-34, SR-48, US-71
Chickasaw County101016.920%20%10%US-63
Union County10716.70%86%29%US-34
Buchanan County1099.70%33%33%I-380
Crawford County101012.30%40%20%US-59, SR-39, US-30
Decatur County10925.820%11%0%US-69, SR-2, I-35
Clarke County10720.70%29%57%I-35, US-34
Buena Vista County1079.60%43%0%US-71
Page County9811.911%0%38%SR-2, US-71, US-59
Dickinson County97100%43%43%US-71
Mitchell County99170%22%33%US-218
Grundy County9614.50%33%33%US-20
Sac County9918.60%33%22%
Emmet County9919.40%22%22%SR-9, SR-4, SR-15
Worth County9724.50%71%43%I-35, US-65
Keokuk County8816.10%50%25%SR-92, SR-23, SR-149
Lucas County8718.425%29%29%US-34
Cherokee County8813.80%50%50%US-59
Monona County8818.70%50%25%SR-141, SR-183, I-29
Davis County8817.50%50%0%US-63
Tama County889.50%0%12%US-30
Guthrie County7713.10%57%14%SR-44, SR-25
Franklin County7714.114%14%43%US-65, I-35, SR-3
Monroe County7718.629%29%14%SR-137, US-34, SR-5
Ida County7720.30%29%29%SR-31, US-59
Hancock County7613.10%33%33%US-69
Winnebago County7713.20%43%57%US-69
Shelby County6610.20%67%33%SR-37, US-59
Osceola County6519.717%20%20%SR-60, US-59
Lyon County669.90%17%17%US-75, SR-9
Audubon County6621.40%17%0%US-71
Wayne County6518.417%0%0%SR-2, SR-14
Jefferson County556.40%40%0%SR-1, US-34
Appanoose County558.20%20%40%SR-2
Ringgold County5421.50%100%50%SR-2
Adams County4422.10%25%25%US-34
Palo Alto County4390%33%33%
Howard County448.50%75%50%US-63
Van Buren County44110%75%25%SR-2
Taylor County3310.20%67%33%
Calhoun County336.10%0%0%SR-4
Pocahontas County225.70%50%0%

Deaths = people killed in crashes in the county, 2020–2024. Pedestrians = share of deaths who were on foot. At night = share of fatal crashes in the dark. Alcohol = share of fatal crashes where police reported a driver had been drinking. Rate = yearly average deaths ÷ average population × 100,000. Source: NHTSA FARS, U.S. Census Bureau.

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Questions

Dangerous counties — FAQ

What is the most dangerous county in Iowa for driving?
Polk County recorded the most road deaths in Iowa from 2020 to 2024 (202), while Iowa County had the highest death rate, 25.4 per 100,000 residents a year against 11 for the state as a whole. Big counties lead on counts because more people drive there; the rate shows the risk for each resident.
How many people died on Iowa roads from 2020 to 2024?
1,770 people, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, about 354 a year.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every fatal crash in NHTSA's FARS census for 2020–2024, placed in the county where it happened, divided by the county's average population from the U.S. Census Bureau. Rates are only ranked for counties with at least 10,000 residents.