Fatal crashes in DeKalb County, Illinois
In 2024, 9 people died in 8 fatal crashes in DeKalb County, 43.8% fewer than in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 101 fatal crashes and 109 deaths, the 19th most of any county in Illinois.
Deaths in DeKalb County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 9 |
| 2023 | 15 | 16 |
| 2022 | 14 | 16 |
| 2021 | 13 | 13 |
| 2020 | 9 | 9 |
| 2019 | 4 | 6 |
| 2018 | 12 | 12 |
| 2017 | 10 | 11 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | 11 | 12 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in DeKalb County
State Highway 23 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in DeKalb County from 2015 to 2024: 18, with 20 deaths. The 5 roads listed held 42% of all fatal crashes in DeKalb County from 2015 to 2024; 1 is an interstate, 1 US route, 3 state highways. Interstate, US and state routes with 5 or more fatal crashes in the county; county roads and city streets are in the county's total but not listed.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Highway 23 | 18 | 20 | 8 | |
| 2 | I-88 | 7 | 8 | 4 | |
| 3 | State Highway 38 | 7 | 7 | 3 | no page |
| 4 | State Highway 64 | 5 | 6 | 1 | |
| 5 | US 30 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Dekalb 9, Genoa 7, De Kalb 6, Sycamore 5. The city is not filed for crashes outside a city.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in DeKalb County
Too few crashes to name a heaviest slot. The grid shows the shares; a share is only given over 20 crashes.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 7.9 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes | 5.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 1 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.0%
- Feb6.9%
- Mar12.9%
- Apr6.9%
- May10.9%
- Jun13.9%
- Jul5.0%
- Aug9.9%
- Sep9.9%
- Oct9.9%
- Nov6.9%
- Dec4.0%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in DeKalb County first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 52%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 25%, a rollover in 12%, a pedestrian in 5.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 52 | 52% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 25 | 25% |
| Rollover | 12 | 12% |
| Pedestrian | 6 | 5.9% |
| Cyclist | 3 | 3.0% |
| Other | 2 | 2.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 1 | 1.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes in DeKalb County compare with Illinois
A drinking driver was recorded in 32% of fatal crashes in DeKalb County from 2015 to 2024, above the Illinois share of 27%; speeding in 36%, about the Illinois share; a hit-and-run in 3.0%, below the Illinois share of 8.4%; a driver recorded as distracted in 5.0%, below the Illinois share of 9.8%; 40% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, below the Illinois share of 46%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Illinois. A share is only given over 20 crashes.
| DeKalb | Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 59% | 34% | above the Illinois share |
| At or near an intersection | 28% | 30% | below the Illinois share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 33% | 25% | above the Illinois share |
| A drinking driver | 32% | 27% | above the Illinois share |
| Speeding | 36% | 37% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 5.0% | 9.8% | below the Illinois share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 40% | 46% | below the Illinois share |
| Hit-and-run | 3.0% | 8.4% | below the Illinois share |
| A motorcycle involved | 12% | 14% | below the Illinois share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 5.5% | 16% | below the Illinois 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 in DeKalb County
- How many people died in car accidents in DeKalb County in 2024?
- 9 people died in 8 fatal crashes in DeKalb County, Illinois, in 2024, 43.8% fewer than in 2023.
- What is the deadliest road in DeKalb County?
- State Highway 23 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in DeKalb County from 2015 to 2024: 18, with 20 deaths.
- How many fatal crashes in DeKalb County involved a drinking driver?
- 32 of 101 fatal crashes in DeKalb County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 32%, against 27% across Illinois.
Other counties in Illinois with a page
- Cook County
- Will County
- Lake County
- DuPage County
- St. Clair County
- Madison County
- Kane County
- Winnebago County
- Sangamon County
- McHenry County
- LaSalle County
- Peoria County
All fatal crashes in Illinois, with every county ranked.
Where the DeKalb County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in DeKalb County (county code 37). A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The rate per 100,000 uses the Census Bureau's population estimate for the county; it is the only figure here not counted from FARS. The full method.