I-35W: fatal crashes in every state
From 2015 to 2024, 194 fatal crashes on I-35W killed 219 people across the 2 states it runs through, the 43rd most of 69 interstates. In 2024 there were 19 fatal crashes and 25 deaths on the road.
127 miles in all; 15.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles. All interstates ranked.
I-35W by state: fatal crashes, deaths and per mile
Texas has the most fatal crashes on I-35W, 158 from 2015 to 2024. Each state's stretch is counted within that state; the per-mile figure needs 20 miles or more of road.
| State | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2024 | Miles | Per 100 miles a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-35W in Texas | 158 | 179 | 15 | 85 | 18.5 |
| 2 | I-35W in Minnesota | 36 | 40 | 4 | 42 | 8.6 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every interstate in every state it crosses as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/deadliest-roads/i-35w/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS.
Deaths on I-35W by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19 | 25 |
| 2023 | 13 | 16 |
| 2022 | 21 | 21 |
| 2021 | 23 | 29 |
| 2020 | 24 | 27 |
| 2019 | 22 | 26 |
| 2018 | 20 | 21 |
| 2017 | 18 | 18 |
| 2016 | 24 | 25 |
| 2015 | 10 | 11 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-35W
The heaviest slot is Sunday, 4 to 8 pm, with 15 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is midnight to 1 am; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 7.2 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 4.6 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 0.5 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 7.7 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 0.5 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 5.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 5.2 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.5 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.6 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 0.5 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.1 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan5.2%
- Feb5.2%
- Mar6.2%
- Apr9.8%
- May10.8%
- Jun8.2%
- Jul6.2%
- Aug10.3%
- Sep9.8%
- Oct12.4%
- Nov8.2%
- Dec7.7%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on I-35W first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 42%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 22%, a pedestrian in 17%, a rollover in 9.8%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 81 | 42% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 43 | 22% |
| Pedestrian | 32 | 17% |
| Rollover | 19 | 9.8% |
| Other | 10 | 5.2% |
| Parked vehicle | 7 | 3.6% |
| Cyclist | 1 | 0.5% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.5% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-35W compare with the United States
A drinking driver was recorded in 18% of fatal crashes on I-35W from 2015 to 2024, below the US share of 26%; speeding in 35%, above the US share of 27%; a hit-and-run in 8.2%, about the US share; a driver recorded as distracted in 12%, about the US share; 41% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, below the US share of 49%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all US roads.
| I-35W | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 11% | 43% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 23% | 28% | about the same as the US share |
| A drinking driver | 18% | 26% | below the US share |
| Speeding | 35% | 27% | above the US share |
| A distracted driver | 12% | 8.7% | about the same as the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 41% | 49% | below the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 8.2% | 6.5% | about the same as the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 16% | 16% | about the same as the US share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 20% | 17% | about the same as the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-35W
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-35W?
- 194 fatal crashes killed 219 people on I-35W from 2015 to 2024, across the 2 states it runs through. In 2024 there were 19 fatal crashes and 25 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state has the most fatal crashes on I-35W?
- Texas, with 158 fatal crashes and 179 deaths from 2015 to 2024; Minnesota is second with 36. Per mile, Texas's stretch has 18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles.
- How dangerous is I-35W per mile?
- 15.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 127 miles of road. That is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic. By fatal crashes, I-35W ranks 43rd of 69 interstates on this site.
- When do fatal crashes on I-35W happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, 4 to 8 pm, with 15 fatal crashes.
Other interstates
- I-10 3,274
- I-95 2,778
- I-40 2,208
- I-75 2,062
- I-20 1,789
- I-80 1,774
- I-5 1,745
- I-70 1,354
- I-35 1,241
- I-15 1,188
- I-90 996
- I-85 922
The deadliest roads in America, every interstate ranked.
Where the I-35W numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-35W, in every state, with ramps, frontage and service roads left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The full method.