Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Cowlitz County, Washington
County in Washington · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 23
- Fatal crashes
- 20
- Population
- 113.8K
In 2024, 23 people died in 20 fatal crashes in Cowlitz County, Washington. That was 43.8% more than in 2023 (16) and the most in any year since 2020. The death rate was 20.2 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.2 in Washington and 11.5 in the United States. Cowlitz County had the 9th most traffic deaths among Washington's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 73 people died, an average of 15 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 9% of deaths, and 35% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
20.2
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About double the rate in Washington: 9.2
- About 1.8 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
13.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.4 times the average in Washington: 9.0
- About the same as the average in the United States: 12.3
+44%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
16 deaths in 2023, 23 in 2024
- Washington: -10%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 | 7 |
| 2021 | 15 | 13 |
| 2022 | 12 | 10 |
| 2023 | 16 | 14 |
| 2024 | 23 | 20 |
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 | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 13.4 |
| 2022 | 10.7 |
| 2023 | 14.2 |
| 2024 | 20.2 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
9%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 40 percent of the share in Washington: 21%
- About half the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 16 |
| Pedestrians | 2 |
| Motorcyclists | 4 |
| Cyclists | 1 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Cowlitz County | Share in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 2 | 9% | 21% |
| Motorcyclists | 4 | 17% | 15% |
| Cyclists | 1 | 4% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 7 | 30% | 33% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 9 | 39% | 34% |
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
35%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in Washington: 33%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%
40%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.5 times the share in Washington: 27%
- About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Cowlitz County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 40.0% | 27.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 35.0% | 32.9% | 28.1% |
| At night | 50.0% | 53.6% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 40.0% | 30.6% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
50%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in Washington: 54%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
40%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.3 times the share in Washington: 31%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 4 |
| 1am | 2 |
| 2am | 1 |
| 3am | 3 |
| 4am | 0 |
| 5am | 2 |
| 6am | 3 |
| 7am | 2 |
| 8am | 3 |
| 9am | 3 |
| 10am | 4 |
| 11am | 4 |
| 12pm | 0 |
| 1pm | 3 |
| 2pm | 5 |
| 3pm | 2 |
| 4pm | 2 |
| 5pm | 3 |
| 6pm | 3 |
| 7pm | 3 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 1 |
| 10pm | 3 |
| 11pm | 4 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 14 |
| Mon | 4 |
| Tue | 10 |
| Wed | 6 |
| Thu | 9 |
| Fri | 18 |
| Sat | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 4 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 8 |
| Apr | 4 |
| May | 11 |
| Jun | 9 |
| Jul | 4 |
| Aug | 8 |
| Sep | 7 |
| Oct | 2 |
| Nov | 1 |
| Dec | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 39 |
| Cloudy | 12 |
| Rain | 11 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 1 |
| Sleet or Hail | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 38 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 15 |
| Dark - Lighted | 9 |
| Dawn | 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-514
- SR-4327
- SR-47
- SR-5036
- CR-PACIFIC WAY2
- PARKING LOT WAY2
- CR-WESTSIDE HWY2
- MU-N PACIFIC AVE1
- ABERNATHY CREEK RD1
- 32ND AVE1
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 38 |
| Pickup trucks | 20 |
| SUVs | 17 |
| Motorcycles | 13 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 5 |
| Vans | 2 |
| Buses | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Civic4
- Chevrolet Silverado4
- Subaru Impreza3
- Honda Accord3
- Freightliner Cascadia3
- Ford Ranger3
- Ford F-1503
- Volkswagen Jetta2
- Toyota Tacoma2
- Hyundai Sonata2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2021 | — | I-5 | 1 |
| May 18, 2021 | — | SR-4 | 1 |
| May 9, 2021 | — | SR-432 | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | — | I-5 | 3 |
| Jan 14, 2021 | — | SR-432 | 1 |
| Jan 1, 2021 | Longview | SR-432 | 1 |
| Jan 1, 2021 | — | CR-HEADQUARTERS RD | 1 |
| Jul 26, 2020 | Kelso | S 5TH AVE | 1 |
| Jun 25, 2020 | Longview | WASHINGTON WAY | 1 |
| Jun 16, 2020 | — | I-5 | 1 |
| Jun 5, 2020 | — | DAVIS PEAK RD | 1 |
| Jun 3, 2020 | Kelso | PACIFIC AVE | 1 |
| Feb 24, 2020 | Kelso | I-5 | 1 |
| Feb 2, 2020 | — | CR-LAKESHORE DR | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Cowlitz County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Longview | 9 | 23.6 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Cowlitz County, Washington
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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.