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Fatal car crashes in Colorado, county by county

From 2020 through 2024, 3,486 people died in 3,219 crashes on Colorado roads. That is 11.7 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, about the same as the US rate of 12.1, and the 27th highest rate of the 50 states and DC.

El Paso County had the most deaths (401). The road stretch with the most fatal crashes was I-25 (Ramp B) in El Paso County (51). In 2024, 689 people were killed, 11% more than in 2020.

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · checked October 2, 2026

3,486

people killed in crashes, 2020-2024

11.7

deaths a year per 100,000 residents, 27th highest of 51 (US 12.1)

524

pedestrians killed, 15% of deaths (US 18%)

35%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related (US 28%)

Death rate by county

Deaths a year per 100,000 residents, 2020-2024. Rural counties often rank highest: fewer people, faster roads and longer waits for an ambulance.

Adams County: 12.8 per 100,000 a year, 347 deathsAlamosa County: 18 per 100,000 a year, 15 deathsArapahoe County: 8.7 per 100,000 a year, 290 deathsArchuleta County: 21.3 per 100,000 a year, 15 deathsBaca County: 65.3 per 100,000 a year, 11 deathsBoulder County: 8.1 per 100,000 a year, 134 deathsBroomfield County: 5.4 per 100,000 a year, 21 deathsChaffee County: 14.4 per 100,000 a year, 15 deathsCheyenne County: 222 per 100,000 a year, 19 deathsClear Creek County: 41.9 per 100,000 a year, 19 deathsConejos County: 29.1 per 100,000 a year, 11 deathsCuster County: 39.6 per 100,000 a year, 11 deathsDelta County: 21.1 per 100,000 a year, 34 deathsDenver County: 9.1 per 100,000 a year, 332 deathsDouglas County: 6.2 per 100,000 a year, 122 deathsEagle County: 9.9 per 100,000 a year, 27 deathsElbert County: 14.3 per 100,000 a year, 21 deathsEl Paso County: 10.7 per 100,000 a year, 401 deathsFremont County: 14.8 per 100,000 a year, 37 deathsGarfield County: 14.6 per 100,000 a year, 46 deathsGunnison County: 25.4 per 100,000 a year, 22 deathsHuerfano County: 63 per 100,000 a year, 22 deathsJackson County: 204.2 per 100,000 a year, 13 deathsJefferson County: 8.5 per 100,000 a year, 245 deathsKit Carson County: 59.3 per 100,000 a year, 21 deathsLa Plata County: 18.7 per 100,000 a year, 53 deathsLarimer County: 9.4 per 100,000 a year, 176 deathsLincoln County: 100 per 100,000 a year, 28 deathsLogan County: 23.1 per 100,000 a year, 24 deathsMesa County: 11.8 per 100,000 a year, 95 deathsMineral County: 300.1 per 100,000 a year, 14 deathsMontezuma County: 26.1 per 100,000 a year, 35 deathsMontrose County: 12.9 per 100,000 a year, 29 deathsMorgan County: 31 per 100,000 a year, 47 deathsOtero County: 14.5 per 100,000 a year, 13 deathsPark County: 32.8 per 100,000 a year, 30 deathsPueblo County: 19.2 per 100,000 a year, 163 deathsRio Blanco County: 30.3 per 100,000 a year, 10 deathsRoutt County: 16.6 per 100,000 a year, 21 deathsSaguache County: 51 per 100,000 a year, 17 deathsSan Miguel County: 35.8 per 100,000 a year, 14 deathsSummit County: 12.3 per 100,000 a year, 19 deathsWashington County: 75.5 per 100,000 a year, 18 deathsWeld County: 15 per 100,000 a year, 278 deaths
under 1010-1515-2020-3030+ too few crashes

The most dangerous roads in Colorado

Fatal crashes by road within each county, 2020-2024. A long interstate shows up once per county it crosses.

#RoadWhereFatal crashesDeaths
1 I-25 Ramp B El Paso County, CO 51 53
2 US-85 N Rt 8Th Ave Weld County, CO 41 48
3 US-34 Ass Weld County, CO 40 45
4 US-24 E Fountain Blvd El Paso County, CO 39 44
5 US-50 Ass Pueblo County, CO 39 44
6 I-25 Ramp D Pueblo County, CO 37 39
7 US-287 Federal Blvd Adams County, CO 31 33
8 US-287 N Garfield Ave Larimer County, CO 30 37
9 US-287 Main St Boulder County, CO 29 34
10 I-25 Ramp G Denver County, CO 26 27
11 US-40 W Colfax Ave Denver County, CO 25 25
12 N Academy Blvd El Paso County, CO 25 25
13 I-25 Ramp B Douglas County, CO 24 27
14 SR-121 S Wadsworth Blvd Jefferson County, CO 24 24
15 I-76 Ramp F Adams County, CO 23 26

Deaths by year

Every Colorado county

44 counties with 10 or more fatal crashes in five years, by deaths. 20 more had fewer than 10 and are listed after the table.

CountyDeaths 2020-24Per 100K a yearPedestriansPopulation
El Paso County 401 10.7 62 752,772
Adams County 347 12.8 86 542,973
Denver County 332 9.1 97 729,019
Arapahoe County 290 8.7 65 666,918
Weld County 278 15.0 23 369,745
Jefferson County 245 8.5 45 578,533
Larimer County 176 9.4 19 374,574
Pueblo County 163 19.2 29 169,866
Boulder County 134 8.1 18 330,262
Douglas County 122 6.2 13 393,995
Mesa County 95 11.8 14 161,260
La Plata County 53 18.7 8 56,823
Morgan County 47 31.0 4 30,300
Garfield County 46 14.6 4 63,167
Fremont County 37 14.8 1 50,093
Montezuma County 35 26.1 4 26,841
Delta County 34 21.1 1 32,215
Park County 30 32.8 0 18,316
Montrose County 29 12.9 1 44,806
Lincoln County 28 100.0 1 5,598
Eagle County 27 9.9 3 54,330
Logan County 24 23.1 2 20,755
Gunnison County 22 25.4 1 17,310
Huerfano County 22 63.0 0 6,988
Broomfield County 21 5.4 2 78,323
Elbert County 21 14.3 1 29,382
Kit Carson County 21 59.3 2 7,080
Routt County 21 16.6 0 25,243
Cheyenne County 19 222.0 0 1,712
Clear Creek County 19 41.9 1 9,076
Summit County 19 12.3 1 30,882
Washington County 18 75.5 0 4,771
Saguache County 17 51.0 1 6,670
Alamosa County 15 18.0 3 16,689
Archuleta County 15 21.3 2 14,112
Chaffee County 15 14.4 0 20,780
Mineral County 14 300.1 0 933
San Miguel County 14 35.8 0 7,819
Jackson County 13 204.2 1 1,273
Otero County 13 14.5 0 17,991
Baca County 11 65.3 0 3,367
Conejos County 11 29.1 0 7,549
Custer County 11 39.6 1 5,553
Rio Blanco County 10 30.3 0 6,607

Fewer than 10 fatal crashes, 2020-2024: Bent County (6 deaths), Costilla County (8 deaths), Crowley County (5 deaths), Dolores County (6 deaths), Gilpin County (2 deaths), Grand County (9 deaths), Hinsdale County (5 deaths), Kiowa County (4 deaths), Lake County (9 deaths), Las Animas County (10 deaths), Moffat County (8 deaths), Ouray County (11 deaths), Phillips County (6 deaths), Pitkin County (9 deaths), Prowers County (13 deaths), Rio Grande County (7 deaths), San Juan County (5 deaths), Sedgwick County (8 deaths), Teller County (10 deaths), Yuma County (10 deaths).

Cities

CityDeaths 2020-24Per 100K a yearPedestriansPopulation
Denver 332 9.1 97 729,019
Colorado Springs 247 10.0 47 493,554
Aurora 235 11.7 68 403,130

What was involved

FactorColoradoShareUS
Speeding was a factor
a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions		 1,134 35% 28%
A driver had been drinking
police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver		 1,126 35% 26%
A large truck was involved
a truck over 10,000 lbs		 433 13% 13%
Hit-and-run
a driver left the scene		 214 7% 7%
Pedestrians killed
share of all deaths		 524 15% 18%
Motorcyclists killed
share of all deaths		 726 21% 15%
Bicyclists killed
share of all deaths		 79 2% 3%
Teens (15-19) killed
share of all deaths		 279 8% 7%

After a crash in Colorado

  1. Get the crash report

    Statewide copies come from Colorado State Patrol Central Records Unit (for crashes CSP investigated); Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (crash records it receives from law enforcement and online counter reports) and are usually ready CSP: the whole process "may take up to ten (10) working days" after the investigation is complete. DMV: "Please allow 90 days for receipt of the crash report by the law enforcement agency and for data to be entered into the driver license system.".

    How to get a Colorado crash report

  2. Know your deadline

    Colorado gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101(1)(n)(I)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Written notice must be filed with the public entity within 182 days after the discovery of the injury; compliance is a jurisdictional prerequisite to suit.

    Work out your date

  3. Who pays

    Colorado is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.

    Colorado car accident laws

  4. If you were partly at fault

    If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you recover nothing if your share of fault is equal to or greater than the other party's (50% or more).

    The rule and its statute

  5. The other driver’s minimum coverage

    The legal minimum liability coverage in Colorado is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property (25/50/15).

    Every state’s minimums

Check your deadline and a rough claim range

A filing date and a rough value range for Colorado. Both take under a minute.

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