Road deaths in Iowa, 2023
Deaths
379
Per 100,000 residents
11.78
Rank
28 of 51
Iowa recorded 379 road deaths in 330 fatal crashes during 2023. At 11.78 deaths per 100,000 residents it sits 3% below the national rate of 12.18, ranking 28 of 51 — among the safer half of states. Deaths rose 12.8% from 2022.
Where the deaths happened
Counties with the most road deaths in 2023. These are raw counts — populous counties will rank high simply because more people drive there.
| County | Deaths | Share of state |
|---|---|---|
| Polk | 39 | 10.3% |
| Linn | 27 | 7.1% |
| Scott | 16 | 4.2% |
| Dallas | 14 | 3.7% |
| Black Hawk | 13 | 3.4% |
| Pottawattamie | 13 | 3.4% |
| Johnson | 10 | 2.6% |
| Woodbury | 9 | 2.4% |
| Webster | 8 | 2.1% |
| Marshall | 7 | 1.8% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2023 national file. Population: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 state population estimates.How these numbers are built →