I-35W in Texas: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 158 fatal crashes on I-35W in Texas killed 179 people, the 27th most of 443 numbered roads in Texas. In 2024 there were 15 fatal crashes and 21 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 4 counties of Texas. All fatal crashes in Texas. I-35W in every state.
Deaths on I-35W in Texas by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15 | 21 |
| 2023 | 10 | 13 |
| 2022 | 16 | 16 |
| 2021 | 19 | 25 |
| 2020 | 18 | 18 |
| 2019 | 20 | 24 |
| 2018 | 18 | 19 |
| 2017 | 12 | 12 |
| 2016 | 21 | 21 |
| 2015 | 9 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-35W in Texas: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Tarrant County had the most fatal crashes on I-35W from 2015 to 2024: 106, with 120 deaths. Tarrant, Johnson and Denton counties together held 97% of fatal crashes on I-35W in Texas from 2015 to 2024. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarrant County | 9 | 106 | 120 |
| 2 | Johnson County | 4 | 31 | 33 |
| 3 | Denton County | 2 | 16 | 21 |
| 4 | Hill County | 0 | 5 | 5 |
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 in Texas
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 12 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 | 7.6 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 5.7 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 6.3 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 5.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 5.7 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.4 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.4 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.3%
- Feb5.1%
- Mar5.7%
- Apr10.8%
- May10.1%
- Jun8.2%
- Jul5.1%
- Aug10.8%
- Sep9.5%
- Oct12.0%
- Nov9.5%
- Dec7.0%
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-35W in Texas
18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 85 miles of I-35W in Texas, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 6 of 12 interstates in Texas and 16 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-35W in Texas first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 44%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 19%, a pedestrian in 17%, a rollover in 8.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 70 | 44% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 30 | 19% |
| Pedestrian | 27 | 17% |
| Rollover | 14 | 8.9% |
| Other | 10 | 6.3% |
| Parked vehicle | 5 | 3.2% |
| Cyclist | 1 | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.6% |
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 in Texas compare with the state
The largest difference from Texas: from 2015 to 2024, 13% of fatal crashes on I-35W in Texas were on rural roads, against 38% across Texas. Below the Texas share: intersections and drinking drivers. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Texas. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 158 crashes.
| I-35W | Texas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 13% | 38% | below the Texas share |
| At or near an intersection | 3.8% | 22% | below the Texas share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 28% | 31% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A drinking driver | 15% | 26% | below the Texas share |
| Speeding | 34% | 32% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 13% | 10% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 41% | 45% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Hit-and-run | 10% | 7.6% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A motorcycle involved | 14% | 14% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 21% | 18% | about the same as the Texas 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 in Texas
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-35W in Texas?
- 158 fatal crashes killed 179 people on I-35W in Texas from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 15 fatal crashes and 21 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-35W in Texas do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Tarrant County had the most fatal crashes on I-35W from 2015 to 2024: 106, with 120 deaths. Johnson County was second with 31.
- When do fatal crashes on I-35W in Texas happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 12 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-35W in Texas per mile?
- 18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 85 miles of road, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 6 of 12 interstates in Texas and 16 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 Texas with a page
All fatal crashes in Texas, with every road 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 Texas (filed under 29 spellings, such as "I-35", "I-35 BURLESON BLVD", "I-35 NORTH FREEWAY", "I-35 NORTH FWY"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where I-35W splits into I-35W and I-35, a crash filed under the plain number is counted on the branch it happened on, by its county and coordinates. 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.