Fatal car crashes in Fairfax County, Virginia
From 2020 through 2024, 252 people died in 237 crashes on roads in Fairfax County, Virginia.
That is 4.3 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, below the Virginia rate of 10.6 and below the US rate of 12.1.
US-1 (Richmond Hwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 23, killing 23.
Hit-and-runs made up 11% of fatal crashes here, against 4% statewide.
In 2024, 57 people were killed, 46% more than in 2020 (39).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 1,160,925 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (237 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Virginia 10.6, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 35% 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 deadliest roads in Fairfax County
US-1 (Richmond Hwy) leads with 23 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 | US-1 Richmond Hwy | 23 | 23 |
| 2 | I-495 | 22 | 24 |
| 3 | I-95 | 18 | 18 |
| 4 | SR-286 Fairfax Co Pkwy | 10 | 10 |
| 5 | SR-123 Ox Rd | 9 | 10 |
| 6 | SR-7 Leesburg Pike | 9 | 10 |
| 7 | US-29 Lee Hwy | 9 | 9 |
| 8 | I-66 | 8 | 10 |
| 9 | CR-644 Old Keene Mill Rd | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | US-50 Lee Jackson Mem Hwy Ramp | 7 | 7 |
Deaths by year
Fairfax County ranks 1st of 100 Virginia counties by deaths and 97th by death rate (1st = highest), among counties with 10 or more fatal crashes.
When crashes turn deadly
63% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 9 pm to 10 pm.
Thursday had the most fatal crashes (38), and 30% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, May was the worst (29 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Fairfax County, next to Virginia and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Fairfax County | Share | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 89 | 38% | 32% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 63 | 27% | 29% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 26 | 11% | 12% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 27 | 11% | 4% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 87 | 35% | 14% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 36 | 14% | 13% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 4 | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 15 | 6% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Fairfax County
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Get the crash report
Local police do not sell reportable crash reports filed through TREDS; Fairfax County Police say all reportable crashes after May 1, 2017 are only available through Virginia DMV, while non-reportable crash reports (under $3,000, hit and run on public property) come from the police department.
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Know your deadline
Virginia gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-243(A)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A claim against a county, city or town for negligence is barred unless a written statement of the claim is filed within six months after the cause of action accrued (actual knowledge by the locality or its insurer can substitute); claims against the Commonwealth require a notice of claim within one year.
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Who pays
Virginia 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
If you are even slightly at fault and your negligence contributed to the crash, Virginia bars you from recovering from the other driver (common-law rule; there is no comparative-fault statute).
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Virginia is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (50/100/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Virginia. Both take under a minute.
Nearby counties
| County | Distance | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County, Virginia | 10 mi | 26 | 2.2 | 6 | 239,807 |
| Alexandria city, Virginia | 10 mi | 27 | 3.4 | 10 | 159,102 |
| Prince William County, Virginia | 14 mi | 137 | 5.5 | 37 | 497,003 |
| District of Columbia, District of Columbia | 15 mi | 200 | 5.7 | 76 | 702,250 |
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.