Fatal car crashes in Portland, Oregon
From 2020 through 2024, 310 people died in 288 crashes on streets and highways inside Portland, Oregon.
That is 9.8 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Oregon rate of 13.3 and below the US rate of 12.1.
I-5 (Connection 2) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 16, killing 17.
Hit-and-runs made up 19% of fatal crashes here, against 6% statewide.
In 2024, 60 people were killed, 7% more than in 2020 (56).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 635,749 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (288 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Oregon 13.3, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 37% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Multnomah County; the dots are crashes inside Portland city limits.
The deadliest roads in Portland
I-5 (Connection 2) leads with 16 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-5 Connection 2 | 16 | 17 |
| 2 | US-26 Odot 26 | 15 | 15 |
| 3 | SR-99 Odot 81 | 13 | 14 |
| 4 | SE Division St | 12 | 15 |
| 5 | US-30 Odot 123 | 11 | 13 |
| 6 | SE Stark St | 11 | 11 |
| 7 | I-84 Ramp 3 | 10 | 12 |
| 8 | N Marine Dr | 9 | 11 |
| 9 | NE Glisan St | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | NE Marine Dr | 9 | 10 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
65% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 10 pm to 11 pm.
Saturday had the most fatal crashes (51), and 31% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, July was the worst (32 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Portland, next to Oregon and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Portland | Share | Oregon | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 96 | 33% | 30% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 82 | 28% | 30% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 18 | 6% | 14% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 54 | 19% | 6% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 115 | 37% | 17% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 49 | 16% | 14% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 13 | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 18 | 6% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Portland
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Portland Police Bureau.
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Get the crash report
City police and county sheriffs take most Oregon crash reports but the state routes copy requests to DMV; some departments also give copies to involved drivers (Portland Police Records Division handles police report copies, automated line 503-823-0041).
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Know your deadline
Oregon gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Or. Rev. Stat. § 12.110(1)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Notice of claim to a public body must be given within 180 days after the loss or injury (one year for wrongful death), or the action is barred.
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Who pays
Oregon is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
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If you were partly at fault
You can recover if your fault is not greater than the combined fault of the others (50% or less), with your award reduced by your share; above 50% you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Oregon is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $20,000 for property (25/50/20).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Oregon. Both take under a minute.
County around Portland
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County | 419 | 10.5 | 145 | 795,897 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.