NHTSA FARS 2020–2024 · Census population
Most Dangerous Counties in South Dakota
Quick answer: Minnehaha County recorded the most road deaths in South Dakota from 2020 to 2024 (88), while Lawrence County had the highest death rate, 34.5 per 100,000 residents a year against 15.7 for the state as a whole.
Per 100,000 residents a year · counties with 10,000+ people
Highest death rate
| # | County | Deaths per 100k / year | Deaths 2020–2024 | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence County | 34.5 | 47 | 27,233 |
| 2 | Roberts County | 23.5 | 12 | 10,221 |
| 3 | Butte County | 20.6 | 11 | 10,676 |
| 4 | Oglala Lakota County | 17.8 | 12 | 13,491 |
| 5 | Meade County | 15.1 | 23 | 30,546 |
| 6 | Union County | 14.1 | 12 | 17,081 |
| 7 | Codington County | 13.9 | 20 | 28,767 |
| 8 | Pennington County | 13.6 | 77 | 113,512 |
| 9 | Yankton County | 11.1 | 13 | 23,414 |
| 10 | Beadle County | 10.4 | 10 | 19,309 |
| 11 | Lincoln County | 10.2 | 36 | 70,638 |
| 12 | Lake County | 9.1 | 5 | 10,972 |
| 13 | Minnehaha County | 8.7 | 88 | 203,289 |
| 14 | Brown County | 8.4 | 16 | 37,877 |
| 15 | Clay County | 6.6 | 5 | 15,219 |
66 counties · click a heading to sort
Every county in South Dakota
| County | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Per 100k / yr | Pedestrians | At night | Alcohol | 2020→2024 | Deadliest roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 88 | 76 | 8.7 | 16% | 50% | 30% | SR-42, I-90, I-229 | |
| Pennington County | 77 | 73 | 13.6 | 13% | 45% | 27% | I-90, SR-44, US-16 | |
| Lawrence County | 47 | 43 | 34.5 | 6% | 23% | 37% | I-90, US-14A, US-14 | |
| Lincoln County | 36 | 32 | 10.2 | 3% | 31% | 34% | I-29, SR-115, I-229 | |
| Meade County | 23 | 23 | 15.1 | 0% | 9% | 35% | I-90, SR-34, SR-79 | |
| Shannon County | 21 | 19 | — | 33% | 68% | 68% | US-18, SR-407 | |
| Codington County | 20 | 19 | 13.9 | 5% | 26% | 32% | SR-20, I-29, US-212 | |
| Charles Mix County | 20 | 16 | 43.1 | 10% | 62% | 56% | SR-46, SR-45, SR-44 | |
| Hutchinson County | 19 | 14 | 51.3 | 0% | 43% | 36% | SR-37, US-81, SR-44 | |
| Fall River County | 16 | 13 | 44.1 | 12% | 54% | 23% | US-18, US-385, SR-471 | |
| Custer County | 16 | 15 | 36 | 0% | 13% | 20% | US-16, US-385, US-16A | |
| Brown County | 16 | 14 | 8.4 | 0% | 50% | 14% | US-12, SR-37, US-281 | |
| Yankton County | 13 | 12 | 11.1 | 8% | 33% | 33% | SR-50, US-81, SR-52 | |
| Jackson County | 13 | 12 | 92.8 | 8% | 33% | 25% | I-90, SR-240, SR-73 | |
| Roberts County | 12 | 10 | 23.5 | 25% | 40% | 50% | I-29, SR-127, SR-123 | |
| Union County | 12 | 12 | 14.1 | 8% | 42% | 17% | I-29, SR-48, SR-46 | |
| Oglala Lakota County | 12 | 10 | 17.8 | 33% | 70% | 60% | US-18 | |
| Butte County | 11 | 11 | 20.6 | 9% | 27% | 27% | US-85, US-212, SR-34 | |
| Buffalo County | 11 | 10 | 117.2 | 18% | 50% | 60% | SR-47, SR-249, SR-34 | |
| McCook County | 11 | 9 | 38.3 | 0% | 22% | 44% | SR-38, I-90, SR-42 | |
| Turner County | 10 | 10 | 22.5 | 0% | 10% | 20% | SR-19 | |
| Tripp County | 10 | 8 | 35.6 | 10% | 38% | 62% | US-18, SR-44, US-183 | |
| Brookings County | 10 | 9 | 5.7 | 0% | 33% | 33% | SR-13, SR-324, I-29 | |
| Beadle County | 10 | 8 | 10.4 | 10% | 12% | 38% | US-14, US-281, SR-37 | |
| Corson County | 9 | 9 | 47.3 | 0% | 44% | 44% | SR-63, US-12 | |
| Grant County | 9 | 9 | 23.8 | 0% | 11% | 33% | US-12, SR-20 | |
| Jones County | 9 | 9 | 204.3 | 0% | 33% | 11% | I-90, SR-248 | |
| Lyman County | 9 | 7 | 48.3 | 0% | 29% | 43% | I-90, SR-248 | |
| Moody County | 8 | 7 | 25 | 12% | 29% | 29% | I-29, SR-32 | |
| Bon Homme County | 8 | 6 | 22.7 | 0% | 50% | 83% | SR-37, SR-50, SR-46 | |
| Aurora County | 8 | 6 | 58 | 0% | 17% | 17% | I-90 | |
| Dewey County | 7 | 7 | 26.9 | 14% | 29% | 14% | US-212, SR-63 | |
| Bennett County | 7 | 5 | 41.9 | 0% | 20% | 80% | US-18, SR-73 | |
| Deuel County | 6 | 6 | 27.7 | 0% | 33% | 17% | I-29, US-212, SR-15 | |
| Haakon County | 6 | 6 | 65 | 0% | 17% | 33% | SR-34 | |
| Walworth County | 5 | 5 | 19 | 0% | 20% | 20% | SR-47, US-12, US-83 | |
| Hughes County | 5 | 5 | 5.7 | 20% | 0% | 40% | SR-1804, US-14 | |
| Clay County | 5 | 5 | 6.6 | 0% | 40% | 40% | SR-19, SR-50, SR-46 | |
| Davison County | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0% | 0% | 40% | SR-37 | |
| Brule County | 5 | 5 | 18.9 | 0% | 20% | 0% | I-90 | |
| Spink County | 5 | 5 | 16.1 | 20% | 80% | 60% | SR-20, US-281 | |
| Lake County | 5 | 5 | 9.1 | 0% | 40% | 20% | SR-19, US-81 | |
| Hanson County | 5 | 5 | 28.8 | 0% | 20% | 0% | I-90 | |
| Hamlin County | 4 | 4 | 12.6 | 0% | 0% | 25% | US-81 | |
| Gregory County | 4 | 4 | 19.9 | 0% | 50% | 75% | US-18 | |
| Kingsbury County | 4 | 4 | 15.3 | 0% | 25% | 0% | US-14 | |
| Marshall County | 3 | 3 | 13.8 | 33% | 33% | 33% | SR-25, SR-10 | |
| Clark County | 3 | 3 | 15.3 | 0% | 100% | 33% | US-212 | |
| Harding County | 3 | 3 | 45.4 | 0% | 33% | 33% | US-85, SR-79 | |
| Day County | 3 | 3 | 11 | 33% | 67% | 0% | US-12 | |
| Miner County | 3 | 3 | 26.1 | 0% | 33% | 33% | SR-25 | |
| Stanley County | 3 | 3 | 19.9 | 0% | 33% | 33% | US-14 | |
| Potter County | 2 | 1 | 16.4 | 0% | 100% | 100% | US-212 | |
| Douglas County | 2 | 2 | 14.1 | 0% | 0% | 50% | US-281 | |
| Mellette County | 2 | 2 | 21.4 | 0% | 100% | 100% | SR-44 | |
| Hyde County | 2 | 2 | 32.9 | 50% | 50% | 0% | US-14 | |
| Edmunds County | 2 | 2 | 9.9 | 0% | 0% | 0% | US-12 | |
| Sully County | 2 | 2 | 27.2 | 0% | 50% | 50% | SR-1804 | |
| Ziebach County | 2 | 2 | 16.8 | 0% | 50% | 100% | SR-20 | |
| Jerauld County | 2 | 2 | 24.2 | 50% | 0% | 0% | SR-34 | |
| Hand County | 1 | 1 | 6.4 | 0% | 100% | 0% | US-14 | |
| McPherson County | 1 | 1 | 8.4 | 0% | 100% | 0% | SR-10 | |
| Faulk County | 1 | 1 | 9.4 | 0% | 0% | 0% | SR-20 | |
| Perkins County | 1 | 1 | 7.1 | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||
| Sanborn County | 1 | 1 | 8.4 | 0% | 0% | 100% | ||
| Todd County | 1 | 1 | 2.2 | 0% | 0% | 0% | SR-63 |
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.
More for South Dakota: deadliest highways and roads · South Dakota accidents today · get a police report · every state
Questions
Dangerous counties — FAQ
What is the most dangerous county in South Dakota for driving?
Minnehaha County recorded the most road deaths in South Dakota from 2020 to 2024 (88), while Lawrence County had the highest death rate, 34.5 per 100,000 residents a year against 15.7 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 South Dakota roads from 2020 to 2024?
712 people, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, about 142 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.