Fatal crashes in North Dakota
In 2024, 90 people died in 84 fatal crashes on North Dakota roads, 15.1% fewer than in 2023. That is 0.2% of all road deaths in the United States.
North Dakota ranks 47th of 51 by road deaths in 2024.
Road deaths in North Dakota since 1975
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads in North Dakota
I-94 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in North Dakota from 2015 to 2024: 69, with 73 deaths. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (0 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-94 | 69 | 73 | 21 | Stark, Morton, Cass |
| 2 | US 2 | 48 | 59 | 6 | Williams, Grand Forks, Mountrail |
| 3 | US 83 | 29 | 33 | 9 | Ward, Mclean, Burleigh |
| 4 | I-29 | 28 | 33 | 7 | Cass, Grand Forks, Richland |
| 5 | State Highway 1804 | 25 | 28 | 7 | Williams, Burleigh, Mountrail |
| 6 | State Highway 23 | 24 | 32 | 8 | Mckenzie, Mountrail, Ward |
| 7 | US 85 | 22 | 27 | 4 | Mckenzie, Williams, Billings |
| 8 | US 281 | 20 | 21 | 7 | Rolette, Towner, La Moure |
| 9 | State Highway 22 | 18 | 18 | 2 | Dunn, Mckenzie, Stark |
| 10 | US 52 | 16 | 18 | 3 | Ward, Mchenry, Stutsman |
| 11 | State Highway 1806 | 15 | 17 | 4 | Morton, Mckenzie, Sioux |
| 12 | State Highway 200 | 12 | 14 | 2 | Mckenzie, Dunn, Mercer |
| 13 | State Highway 1 | 8 | 8 | 4 | Barnes, Nelson, Dickey |
| 14 | State Highway 20 | 8 | 8 | 0 | Stutsman, Ramsey, Benson |
| 15 | State Highway 8 | 7 | 7 | 1 | Mountrail, Adams, Burke |
| 16 | US 81 | 7 | 7 | 3 | Walsh, Cass, Grand Forks |
| 17 | State Highway 32 | 6 | 6 | 2 | Ransom, Walsh, Barnes |
| 18 | State Highway 5 | 5 | 7 | 0 | Bottineau, Divide, Cavalier |
| 19 | State Highway 57 | 5 | 7 | 4 | Benson |
| 20 | State Highway 13 | 5 | 6 | 3 | Sargent, Richland, Logan |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest counties in North Dakota
Cass County had the most fatal crashes in North Dakota from 2015 to 2024: 82, with 88 deaths. 53 counties in North Dakota recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass | 7 | 82 | 88 |
| 2 | Williams | 7 | 67 | 77 |
| 3 | Mckenzie | 5 | 66 | 79 |
| 4 | Burleigh | 8 | 59 | 60 |
| 5 | Ward | 2 | 55 | 62 |
| 6 | Grand Forks | 2 | 52 | 62 |
| 7 | Morton | 6 | 52 | 56 |
| 8 | Rolette | 3 | 41 | 48 |
| 9 | Mountrail | 3 | 40 | 49 |
| 10 | Stark | 1 | 37 | 37 |
| 11 | Benson | 5 | 31 | 35 |
| 12 | Stutsman | 1 | 30 | 31 |
| 13 | Mclean | 3 | 25 | 27 |
| 14 | Richland | 1 | 24 | 31 |
| 15 | Walsh | 1 | 21 | 23 |
| 16 | Barnes | 2 | 20 | 21 |
| 17 | Dunn | 2 | 18 | 18 |
| 18 | Mchenry | 1 | 16 | 18 |
| 19 | Sioux | 1 | 16 | 17 |
| 20 | Bottineau | 0 | 15 | 15 |
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 North Dakota
The heaviest slot is Saturday, 8 pm to midnight, with 49 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 3 pm to 4 pm; the worst month is July.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.2 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 32 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 19 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.2 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 23 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 26 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 21 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.1 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 23 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.0 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 28 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.8 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 25 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 27 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.8 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 35 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 5.5 percent, 49 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan5.9%
- Feb3.5%
- Mar6.3%
- Apr6.4%
- May9.1%
- Jun10.5%
- Jul12.7%
- Aug12.3%
- Sep11.5%
- Oct9.3%
- Nov7.2%
- Dec5.2%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in North Dakota: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| North Dakota | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 85% | 43% | above the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 23% | 25% | below the US share |
| In daylight | 55% | 46% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 8.4% | 21% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 29% | 28% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on North Dakota roads in 2024
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 67 | 74% |
| Motorcyclists | 17 | 19% |
| Pedestrians | 5 | 5.6% |
| Cyclists | 1 | 1.1% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 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 happen in North Dakota: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (624 in North Dakota).
| North Dakota | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 40% | 26% | above the US share |
| Speeding | 27% | 27% | about the same as the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 62% | 49% | above the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.7% | 6.5% | below the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 14% | 16% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 400 | 42% |
| Rollover | 241 | 25% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 168 | 18% |
| Other | 66 | 6.9% |
| Pedestrian | 64 | 6.7% |
| Cyclist | 13 | 1.4% |
| Parked vehicle | 6 | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 4 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in North Dakota
Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type (1,353 vehicles).
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pickups | 378 | 28% |
| Cars | 301 | 22% |
| SUVs | 239 | 18% |
| Truck-tractors | 166 | 12% |
| Motorcycles | 139 | 10% |
| Other trucks | 82 | 6.1% |
| Vans | 43 | 3.2% |
| Buses | 5 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road pages for North Dakota
Every numbered road in North Dakota with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
Where the North Dakota numbers come from
Every figure on this page is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I35 FRONTAGE" and "I-35" are the same road; frontage roads and ramps are left out of road counts). Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". The full method.