I-35 in Iowa: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 64 fatal crashes on I-35 in Iowa killed 72 people, the 3rd most of 137 numbered roads in Iowa. In 2024 there were 8 fatal crashes and 11 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 10 counties of Iowa. All fatal crashes in Iowa. I-35 in every state.
Deaths on I-35 in Iowa by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 11 |
| 2023 | 6 | 6 |
| 2022 | 7 | 7 |
| 2021 | 8 | 9 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | 7 | 8 |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 |
| 2017 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | 8 | 8 |
| 2015 | 4 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-35 in Iowa: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Polk County had the most fatal crashes on I-35 from 2015 to 2024: 20, with 22 deaths. Polk, Story and Warren counties together held 58% of fatal crashes on I-35 in Iowa from 2015 to 2024; the 5 listed held 75%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polk County | 4 | 20 | 22 |
| 2 | Story County | 1 | 9 | 10 |
| 3 | Warren County | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | Decatur County | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Worth County | 2 | 5 | 7 |
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-35 in Iowa
64 fatal crashes on I-35 in Iowa from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 5 pm to 6 pm; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 4.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 6.2 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Sat | 3.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 7.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.2 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan1.6%
- Feb6.2%
- Mar4.7%
- Apr1.6%
- May9.4%
- Jun9.4%
- Jul4.7%
- Aug17.2%
- Sep3.1%
- Oct17.2%
- Nov14.1%
- Dec10.9%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-35 in Iowa
3.1 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 206 miles of I-35 in Iowa, against 4.4 for all interstates in Iowa. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Iowa and 161 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-35 in Iowa first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 56%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 19%, a rollover in 13%, a pedestrian in 9.4%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 36 | 56% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 12 | 19% |
| Rollover | 8 | 13% |
| Pedestrian | 6 | 9.4% |
| Parked vehicle | 2 | 3.1% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | 0 | 0.0% |
| 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 on I-35 in Iowa compare with the state
The largest difference from Iowa: from 2015 to 2024, 0.0% of fatal crashes on I-35 in Iowa were at or near an intersection, against 27% across Iowa. Also above the Iowa share: hit-and-runs. Below it: unbelted occupants and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Iowa. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 64 crashes.
| I-35 | Iowa | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 67% | 72% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 27% | below the Iowa share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 33% | 28% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| A drinking driver | 27% | 25% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| Speeding | 13% | 20% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 9.4% | 7.0% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 28% | 45% | below the Iowa share |
| Hit-and-run | 6.2% | 2.0% | above the Iowa share |
| A motorcycle involved | 4.7% | 17% | below the Iowa share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 8.3% | 7.1% | about the same as the Iowa 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-35 in Iowa
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-35 in Iowa?
- 64 fatal crashes killed 72 people on I-35 in Iowa from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 8 fatal crashes and 11 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-35 in Iowa do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Polk County had the most fatal crashes on I-35 from 2015 to 2024: 20, with 22 deaths. Story County was second with 9.
- How dangerous is I-35 in Iowa per mile?
- 3.1 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 206 miles of road, against 4.4 for all interstates in Iowa. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Iowa and 161 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Iowa with a page
All fatal crashes in Iowa, with every road ranked.
Where the I-35 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-35 in Iowa (filed under 2 spellings, such as "I-35", "I-35/I-80"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are 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. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.