NHTSA FARS 2020–2024 · Census population
Most Dangerous Counties in West Virginia
Quick answer: Kanawha County recorded the most road deaths in West Virginia from 2020 to 2024 (137), while Hampshire County had the highest death rate, 32.4 per 100,000 residents a year against 15 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 | Hampshire County | 32.4 | 38 | 23,465 |
| 2 | Hardy County | 32.3 | 23 | 14,243 |
| 3 | Grant County | 31 | 17 | 10,983 |
| 4 | Nicholas County | 25.5 | 31 | 24,277 |
| 5 | Summers County | 23.9 | 14 | 11,729 |
| 6 | Wayne County | 23.1 | 44 | 38,164 |
| 7 | Roane County | 21.8 | 15 | 13,786 |
| 8 | Lincoln County | 21.1 | 21 | 19,901 |
| 9 | Logan County | 21 | 33 | 31,418 |
| 10 | Jackson County | 20.9 | 29 | 27,705 |
| 11 | Boone County | 20.9 | 22 | 21,026 |
| 12 | Greenbrier County | 20.4 | 33 | 32,386 |
| 13 | Mason County | 20 | 25 | 25,043 |
| 14 | Braxton County | 19.7 | 12 | 12,208 |
| 15 | Upshur County | 19.4 | 23 | 23,712 |
55 counties · click a heading to sort
Every county in West Virginia
| County | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Per 100k / yr | Pedestrians | At night | Alcohol | 2020→2024 | Deadliest roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County | 137 | 126 | 15.5 | 20% | 46% | 30% | US-60, US-119, I-77 | |
| Berkeley County | 80 | 74 | 12.4 | 14% | 54% | 32% | I-81, US-11, SR-9 | |
| Raleigh County | 62 | 54 | 16.9 | 6% | 30% | 26% | I-77, SR-3, US-19 | |
| Wood County | 61 | 59 | 14.6 | 7% | 37% | 31% | SR-14, US-50, I-77 | |
| Monongalia County | 51 | 46 | 9.5 | 8% | 28% | 33% | US-119, I-79, I-68 | |
| Cabell County | 51 | 50 | 11 | 18% | 46% | 24% | US-60, SR-2, I-64 | |
| Mercer County | 47 | 43 | 16.1 | 13% | 28% | 19% | I-77, US-460, SR-20 | |
| Wayne County | 44 | 40 | 23.1 | 2% | 38% | 48% | SR-152, US-52, SR-37 | |
| Jefferson County | 43 | 36 | 14.5 | 5% | 28% | 31% | US-340, SR-9, SR-51 | |
| Hampshire County | 38 | 33 | 32.4 | 0% | 27% | 18% | US-50, SR-29, SR-28 | |
| Harrison County | 34 | 31 | 10.5 | 12% | 35% | 16% | US-50, I-79, SR-20 | |
| Greenbrier County | 33 | 30 | 20.4 | 15% | 43% | 30% | US-219, US-60, I-64 | |
| Logan County | 33 | 32 | 21 | 12% | 47% | 6% | SR-10, US-119, SR-80 | |
| Nicholas County | 31 | 28 | 25.5 | 3% | 32% | 25% | US-19, SR-39, SR-20 | |
| Fayette County | 31 | 29 | 15.7 | 6% | 48% | 38% | US-19, SR-16, SR-61 | |
| Jackson County | 29 | 28 | 20.9 | 3% | 29% | 32% | I-77, SR-62, SR-2 | |
| Mason County | 25 | 25 | 20 | 4% | 32% | 28% | SR-2, SR-62, US-35 | |
| Preston County | 24 | 22 | 14.1 | 4% | 32% | 32% | I-68, SR-26, SR-24 | |
| Ohio County | 24 | 19 | 11.5 | 4% | 42% | 47% | I-70, SR-2, SR-88 | |
| Hardy County | 23 | 19 | 32.3 | 4% | 42% | 26% | SR-259, US-48, US-220 | |
| Upshur County | 23 | 22 | 19.4 | 4% | 32% | 41% | US-33, SR-20, SR-4 | |
| Boone County | 22 | 22 | 20.9 | 23% | 45% | 14% | US-119, SR-17, SR-85 | |
| Lincoln County | 21 | 21 | 21.1 | 10% | 38% | 29% | SR-10, SR-3, SR-214 | |
| Putnam County | 20 | 19 | 7 | 15% | 37% | 16% | US-35, SR-34, I-64 | |
| Mingo County | 19 | 18 | 16.9 | 16% | 33% | 17% | SR-65, US-52, US-119 | |
| Wyoming County | 18 | 18 | 17.5 | 0% | 17% | 28% | SR-97, SR-10, SR-54 | |
| Randolph County | 17 | 16 | 12.3 | 12% | 31% | 44% | US-33, US-219, US-250 | |
| Doddridge County | 17 | 13 | 44.1 | 0% | 46% | 15% | US-50, SR-18 | |
| Grant County | 17 | 16 | 31 | 0% | 25% | 31% | US-220, SR-42, SR-93 | |
| Marion County | 16 | 16 | 5.7 | 0% | 31% | 25% | I-79, US-250, US-19 | |
| McDowell County | 16 | 15 | 17.8 | 6% | 33% | 47% | US-52, SR-16, SR-635 | |
| Mineral County | 16 | 16 | 11.9 | 0% | 25% | 38% | SR-28, SR-46, US-50 | |
| Roane County | 15 | 15 | 21.8 | 0% | 13% | 20% | I-79, SR-36, US-33 | |
| Lewis County | 15 | 11 | 17.9 | 7% | 45% | 45% | I-79, US-33, US-19 | |
| Summers County | 14 | 11 | 23.9 | 0% | 18% | 18% | I-64, SR-20, SR-3 | |
| Marshall County | 13 | 12 | 8.7 | 0% | 33% | 33% | US-250, US-50, SR-2 | |
| Braxton County | 12 | 11 | 19.7 | 0% | 18% | 18% | I-79, SR-4, US-19 | |
| Wetzel County | 11 | 11 | 15.6 | 9% | 18% | 45% | SR-2, SR-7, SR-180 | |
| Morgan County | 11 | 11 | 12.6 | 9% | 18% | 45% | US-522, SR-9 | |
| Taylor County | 11 | 11 | 13.3 | 9% | 55% | 27% | US-50, US-119, SR-310 | |
| Ritchie County | 10 | 9 | 24.1 | 0% | 33% | 22% | SR-16, SR-47, US-50 | |
| Clay County | 9 | 9 | 23 | 0% | 56% | 0% | SR-16, I-79, SR-4 | |
| Barbour County | 9 | 9 | 11.7 | 11% | 56% | 33% | SR-38, US-33, US-250 | |
| Pocahontas County | 9 | 8 | 23.1 | 0% | 50% | 25% | US-219, US-250, SR-28 | |
| Pendleton County | 9 | 9 | 29.8 | 0% | 33% | 22% | US-33, SR-28, US-220 | |
| Monroe County | 9 | 8 | 14.5 | 11% | 62% | 62% | SR-3, US-219 | |
| Brooke County | 9 | 8 | 8.3 | 11% | 38% | 38% | US-22, SR-2, SR-27 | |
| Tyler County | 8 | 7 | 19.8 | 0% | 43% | 43% | SR-180, SR-18, SR-23 | |
| Hancock County | 7 | 7 | 4.9 | 0% | 86% | 29% | SR-8, US-30, SR-2 | |
| Calhoun County | 7 | 7 | 23.1 | 0% | 71% | 29% | SR-16, SR-5 | |
| Tucker County | 5 | 4 | 15 | 20% | 50% | 25% | SR-32, US-219 | |
| Webster County | 5 | 5 | 12.3 | 0% | 20% | 20% | SR-20, SR-15 | |
| Pleasants County | 4 | 4 | 10.6 | 0% | 50% | 75% | SR-2, SR-16 | |
| Wirt County | 3 | 3 | 11.9 | 0% | 67% | 33% | SR-47, SR-14 | |
| Gilmer County | 3 | 3 | 8.2 | 0% | 0% | 33% |
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 West Virginia: deadliest highways and roads · West Virginia accidents today · get a police report · every state
Questions
Dangerous counties — FAQ
What is the most dangerous county in West Virginia for driving?
Kanawha County recorded the most road deaths in West Virginia from 2020 to 2024 (137), while Hampshire County had the highest death rate, 32.4 per 100,000 residents a year against 15 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 West Virginia roads from 2020 to 2024?
1,331 people, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, about 266 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.