Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Polk County, Iowa
County in Iowa · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 47
- Fatal crashes
- 40
- Population
- 513.5K
In 2024, 47 people died in 40 fatal crashes in Polk County, Iowa. That was 20.5% more than in 2023 (39) and the most in any year since 2020. The death rate was 9.2 per 100,000 residents, compared with 11.0 in Iowa and 11.5 in the United States. Polk County had the most traffic deaths of any county in Iowa. Between 2020 and 2024, 202 people died, an average of 40 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 17% of deaths, and 30% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
9.2
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 85 percent of the rate in Iowa: 11.0
- About 80 percent of the rate in the United States: 11.5
8.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About three-quarters of the average in Iowa: 11.0
- About two-thirds of the average in the United States: 12.3
+21%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
39 deaths in 2023, 47 in 2024
- Iowa: -6%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 38 | 30 |
| 2021 | 45 | 41 |
| 2022 | 33 | 33 |
| 2023 | 39 | 37 |
| 2024 | 47 | 40 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.7 |
| 2021 | 9.0 |
| 2022 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | 7.7 |
| 2024 | 9.2 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
17%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About double the share in Iowa: 8%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 28 |
| Pedestrians | 8 |
| Motorcyclists | 11 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Polk County | Share in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 8 | 17% | 8% |
| Motorcyclists | 11 | 23% | 18% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 1% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 22 | 47% | 33% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 15 | 32% | 20% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
30%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.5 times the share in Iowa: 19%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 28%
30%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.3 times the share in Iowa: 23%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Polk County | Iowa | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 30.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 30.0% | 19.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 57.5% | 47.8% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 37.5% | 31.8% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
57%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 1.2 times the share in Iowa: 48%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
38%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.2 times the share in Iowa: 32%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 11 |
| 1am | 9 |
| 2am | 7 |
| 3am | 3 |
| 4am | 6 |
| 5am | 6 |
| 6am | 2 |
| 7am | 6 |
| 8am | 3 |
| 9am | 0 |
| 10am | 7 |
| 11am | 7 |
| 12pm | 4 |
| 1pm | 6 |
| 2pm | 7 |
| 3pm | 13 |
| 4pm | 11 |
| 5pm | 8 |
| 6pm | 9 |
| 7pm | 9 |
| 8pm | 19 |
| 9pm | 10 |
| 10pm | 12 |
| 11pm | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 34 |
| Mon | 21 |
| Tue | 21 |
| Wed | 23 |
| Thu | 24 |
| Fri | 23 |
| Sat | 35 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7 |
| Feb | 7 |
| Mar | 13 |
| Apr | 12 |
| May | 19 |
| Jun | 17 |
| Jul | 19 |
| Aug | 24 |
| Sep | 18 |
| Oct | 18 |
| Nov | 13 |
| Dec | 14 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 144 |
| Cloudy | 21 |
| Rain | 8 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 3 |
| Snow | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 75 |
| Dark - Lighted | 64 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 28 |
| Dusk | 7 |
| Dawn | 4 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-8012
- I-2357
- US-69/SE 14TH ST7
- I-356
- I-35/I-804
- SR-1634
- US-653
- MU-2ND AVE3
- MU-ARMY POST RD3
- SR-415/2ND AVE3
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 113 |
| SUVs | 58 |
| Motorcycles | 55 |
| Pickup trucks | 37 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 21 |
| Vans | 10 |
| Other vehicles | 5 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado17
- Chevrolet Impala7
- Chevrolet Equinox7
- Honda Accord6
- Ford F-1506
- Jeep Wrangler5
- Chevrolet Cruze5
- Nissan Sentra4
- Hyundai Sonata4
- Hyundai Elantra4
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2021 | Clive | NW 86TH ST | 3 |
| Dec 26, 2020 | — | SR-163/UNIVERSITY AVE | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2020 | — | I-80 | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2020 | Des Moines | US-6/E EUCLID AVE | 1 |
| Dec 12, 2020 | Des Moines | US-69/SE 14TH ST | 1 |
| Dec 5, 2020 | — | I-80 | 3 |
| Nov 26, 2020 | Des Moines | US-69/SE 14TH ST | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2020 | Des Moines | US-6/E EUCLID AVE | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2020 | Des Moines | 6TH AVE | 2 |
| Oct 12, 2020 | West Des Moines | SR-28/SW 63RD ST/SE 1ST ST | 1 |
| Sep 5, 2020 | — | US-65/NE HUBBELL AVE | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2020 | — | SE 8TH ST | 1 |
| Aug 9, 2020 | Des Moines | MLK JR PKWY | 1 |
| Aug 7, 2020 | Des Moines | E MLK JR PKWY | 1 |
| Jul 31, 2020 | Des Moines | I-235 | 1 |
| Jul 30, 2020 | Ankeny | SR-415/SW ORALABOR RD | 2 |
| Jul 20, 2020 | Des Moines | E PARK AVE | 1 |
| Jul 18, 2020 | — | SR-415/2ND AVE | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2020 | — | SR-415/2ND AVE | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2020 | Des Moines | GEORGE FLAGG PKWY | 4 |
| Jun 18, 2020 | — | NE 118TH AVE | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2020 | Des Moines | UNIVERSITY AVE | 1 |
| Jun 16, 2020 | Elkhart | CR-F022/NE 126TH AVE | 1 |
| May 9, 2020 | Des Moines | SW 7TH ST | 1 |
| Apr 27, 2020 | Des Moines | US-6/DOUGLAS AVE | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Polk County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 20 | 9.4 |
| West Des Moines | 3 | 4.0 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Polk County, Iowa
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.