Fatal crashes in Plymouth County, Iowa
In 2024, 6 people died in 5 fatal crashes in Plymouth County, Iowa, up from 5 in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 39 fatal crashes and 43 deaths, the 21st most of 99 counties in Iowa.
Deaths in Plymouth County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 6 |
| 2023 | 4 | 5 |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | 8 | 9 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 |
| 2016 | 3 | 3 |
| 2015 | 3 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in Plymouth County
US 75 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Plymouth County from 2015 to 2024: 12, with 12 deaths. The 2 roads listed held 44% of all fatal crashes in Plymouth County from 2015 to 2024; 1 US route, 1 state highway. 56% of the county's fatal crashes were on an interstate, US or state route; the other 44% were on county roads and city streets. Routes are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US 75 | 12 | 12 | 5 | no page |
| 2 | State Highway 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | no page |
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Le Mars 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 Plymouth County
39 fatal crashes in Plymouth County, 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 3 am to 4 am; the worst month is September.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 7.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 10.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 7.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 7.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 5.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
By hour
By month
- Jan12.8%
- Feb2.6%
- Mar0.0%
- Apr5.1%
- May0.0%
- Jun5.1%
- Jul12.8%
- Aug10.3%
- Sep15.4%
- Oct10.3%
- Nov12.8%
- Dec12.8%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Plymouth County first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 54%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 26%, a rollover in 10%, a pedestrian in 5.1%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 21 | 54% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 10 | 26% |
| Rollover | 4 | 10% |
| Pedestrian | 2 | 5.1% |
| Cyclist | 1 | 2.6% |
| Other | 1 | 2.6% |
| Parked vehicle | 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 in Plymouth County compare with Iowa
The largest difference from Iowa: from 2015 to 2024, 90% of fatal crashes in Plymouth County were on rural roads, against 72% across Iowa. Also above the Iowa share: distracted drivers. 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 39 crashes.
| Plymouth | Iowa | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 90% | 72% | above the Iowa share |
| At or near an intersection | 36% | 27% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 41% | 28% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| A drinking driver | 28% | 25% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| Speeding | 23% | 20% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 21% | 7.0% | above the Iowa share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 36% | 45% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| Hit-and-run | 0.0% | 2.0% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| A motorcycle involved | 7.7% | 17% | about the same as the Iowa share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 4.7% | 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 in Plymouth County, Iowa
- How many people died in car accidents in Plymouth County in 2024?
- 6 people died in 5 fatal crashes in Plymouth County, Iowa, in 2024, up from 5 in 2023. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- What is the deadliest road in Plymouth County?
- US 75 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Plymouth County from 2015 to 2024: 12, with 12 deaths.
- How many fatal crashes in Plymouth County involved a drinking driver?
- 11 of 39 fatal crashes in Plymouth County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 28%, against 25% across Iowa.
Other counties in Iowa with a page
- Polk County
- Scott County
- Linn County
- Pottawattamie County
- Black Hawk County
- Woodbury County
- Johnson County
- Dubuque County
- Lee County
- Webster County
- Dallas County
- Cerro Gordo County
All fatal crashes in Iowa, with every county ranked.
Where the Plymouth County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Plymouth County (county code 149). 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. Totals from state highway departments and news reports can differ: they count from their own crash reports, often before every death within 30 days is known, while NHTSA's file is checked against death certificates and revised once a year. The full method.
Download every county with a page as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/iowa/plymouth-county/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”