NHTSA FARS 2020–2024
Deadliest Highways and Roads in South Dakota
Quick answer: I-90 is the deadliest road in South Dakota: 71 people died in crashes on it from 2020 to 2024, the worst stretch being near Lawrence County (5 deaths within about 7 miles). Next: US-18 (36) and I-29 (29).
| # | Road | Deaths | Fatal crashes | 2020 · 2024 | Deadliest ~7-mile stretch | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-90 Interstate · live page |
71 | 63 | 10 → 14 | near Lawrence County: 5 deaths map | Pennington County, Lawrence County, Meade County, Minnehaha County |
| 2 | US-18 U.S. Highway |
36 | 31 | 6 → 3 | near Shannon County: 5 deaths map | Fall River County, Shannon County, Tripp County, Oglala Lakota County |
| 3 | I-29 Interstate |
29 | 28 | 7 → 7 | near Moody County: 4 deaths map | Union County, Moody County, Lincoln County, Roberts County |
| 4 | US-14 U.S. Highway |
20 | 18 | 2 → 7 | near Beadle County: 3 deaths map | Lawrence County, Beadle County, Stanley County, Kingsbury County |
| 5 | SR-44 State Highway |
18 | 16 | 5 → 1 | near Pennington County: 6 deaths map | Pennington County, Hutchinson County, Tripp County, Mellette County |
| 6 | SR-37 State Highway |
15 | 13 | 3 → 2 | near Hutchinson County: 4 deaths map | Hutchinson County, Bon Homme County, Davison County, Brown County |
| 7 | SR-34 State Highway |
15 | 14 | 4 → 6 | — | Meade County, Haakon County, Lawrence County, Butte County |
| 8 | US-212 U.S. Highway |
14 | 13 | 7 → 4 | — | Dewey County, Butte County, Potter County, Deuel County |
| 9 | US-16 U.S. Highway |
13 | 12 | 3 → 0 | near Pennington County: 3 deaths map | Pennington County, Custer County |
| 10 | SR-20 State Highway |
11 | 10 | 3 → 1 | — | Codington County, Spink County, Grant County, Faulk County |
| 11 | SR-19 State Highway |
11 | 11 | 6 → 1 | — | Turner County, Clay County, Lake County, Minnehaha County |
| 12 | US-12 U.S. Highway |
11 | 10 | 3 → 1 | — | Brown County, Corson County, Grant County, Day County |
| 13 | SR-50 State Highway |
10 | 8 | 1 → 5 | — | Yankton County, Bon Homme County, Clay County, Charles Mix County |
| 14 | US-81 U.S. Highway |
10 | 8 | 1 → 2 | near Hutchinson County: 3 deaths map | Hutchinson County, Yankton County, Hamlin County, McCook County |
| 15 | SR-79 State Highway |
10 | 9 | 1 → 3 | — | Pennington County, Custer County, Meade County, Fall River County |
| 16 | SR-42 State Highway |
10 | 8 | 3 → 3 | near Minnehaha County: 3 deaths map | Minnehaha County, McCook County |
| 17 | SR-46 State Highway |
10 | 8 | 2 → 3 | near Charles Mix County: 3 deaths map | Charles Mix County, Bon Homme County, Union County, Clay County |
| 18 | US-385 U.S. Highway |
9 | 9 | 3 → 3 | — | Custer County, Fall River County, Pennington County, Lawrence County |
| 19 | US-14A U.S. Highway |
8 | 7 | 4 → 0 | near Lawrence County: 5 deaths map | Lawrence County |
| 20 | SR-38 State Highway |
8 | 6 | 2 → 2 | near McCook County: 4 deaths map | Minnehaha County, McCook County |
| 21 | US-85 U.S. Highway |
8 | 8 | 1 → 3 | — | Butte County, Lawrence County, Harding County |
| 22 | I-229 Interstate |
7 | 4 | 3 → 1 | near Minnehaha County: 5 deaths map | Minnehaha County, Lincoln County |
| 23 | US-281 U.S. Highway |
7 | 7 | 1 → 1 | — | Spink County, Beadle County, Brown County, Douglas County |
| 24 | SR-63 State Highway |
6 | 6 | 2 → 0 | near Corson County: 3 deaths map | Corson County, Dewey County, Todd County |
| 25 | SR-11 State Highway |
6 | 6 | 1 → 0 | near Minnehaha County: 3 deaths map | Minnehaha County, Union County, Lincoln County |
| 26 | SR-25 State Highway |
5 | 4 | 1 → 0 | — | Miner County, Hutchinson County, Marshall County |
| 27 | US-16A U.S. Highway |
5 | 5 | 2 → 0 | — | Custer County, Pennington County |
| 28 | SR-248 State Highway |
4 | 4 | 1 → 2 | — | Jones County, Lyman County |
| 29 | SR-115 State Highway |
4 | 3 | 1 → 2 | near Lincoln County: 4 deaths map | Lincoln County |
| 30 | SR-47 State Highway |
4 | 3 | 0 → 2 | — | Buffalo County, Walworth County |
| 31 | SR-45 State Highway |
4 | 1 | 0 → 0 | near Charles Mix County: 4 deaths map | Charles Mix County |
| 32 | SR-1804 State Highway |
3 | 3 | 0 → 0 | — | Sully County, Hughes 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 South Dakota: most dangerous counties · South Dakota accidents today · every state · crash history along your route
Questions
Deadliest roads — FAQ
What is the deadliest highway in South Dakota?
I-90 is the deadliest road in South Dakota: 71 people died in crashes on it from 2020 to 2024, the worst stretch being near Lawrence County (5 deaths within about 7 miles). Next: US-18 (36) and I-29 (29). 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.