COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Boulder County: larger FARS fatality book
Boulder County (CO) holds a larger FARS book (213, #289 of 3,137) with 28 latest-year deaths.
- 213
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 28
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 8.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Boulder County ranks #289 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (213 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Boulder County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Boulder County carries a top-third fatality book (213 across 2016-2023, #289 of 3,137) at 8.6/100k.
- #1,901 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #289 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #25 of 33
- in CO by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost BOULDER-13 · Boulder 8.6/100k · #1,901 of 2,328
Boulder County · 8.6/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 8.6/100k
- PHOTO #1,901 of 2,328
- VS-ST 213 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS near Summit
- NHTSA -45.5% vs CO
Stamps derive from this county's NHTSA FARS row (per-100k or book, corpus rank, trend, nationwide peer NAME, vs-state gap), not a trip-risk forecast. PlainRoadSafety is informational only. See our disclaimer. Verify with NHTSA FARS → · Read with methodology → · Understanding road fatality data → · Colorado state profile →
Boulder County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Boulder
Boulder County
9 per 100k
- Summit
Summit County
9 per 100k
- Ventura
Ventura County
9 per 100k
- Wake
Wake County
9 per 100k
- Baldwin
Baldwin County
9 per 100k
What this shows Boulder County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Boulder County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Boulder County is 46% safer than the comparison
2023 road deaths from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System over population from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2023). Rates shown for counties with 10,000+ residents and a 2023 FARS record.
Among the 15 rated counties in Colorado, Boulder County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Boulder County's rate and the state average is 7.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Fremont County, at 13.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 5.3). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Park County (38.6), Routt County (35.9), Archuleta County (35.2), Logan County (29.1), Rio Grande County (26.8, limited data), Montezuma County (26.4), Pueblo County (23.6), La Plata County (21.3), Morgan County (20.3), Delta County (18.9), Gunnison County (17.3, limited data), Summit County (16.4), Weld County (16.1), Fremont County (13.9).
Boulder County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
9 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 82% of 2,328 rated counties
rated U.S. counties, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NHTSA FARS over U.S. Census Bureau population estimates · 2026-09-03
Counties with similar FARS profiles
Two cross-state peer sets for Boulder County. Same-state rate comparisons stay in the chart above; these neighborhoods are nearest other-state counties with population at least 250,000.
Similar per-capita fatality rate
Nearest counties by deaths per 100,000 residents (8.6 here), outside Colorado.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (213 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Boulder County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Boulder County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Colorado statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for CO
- State fatality changesYear-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. countiesAlphabetical county index
- All state profiles51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparisonRoute-level lookup tool
- National statistics downloadFARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality dataMethodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road riskRate denominator explained
- Counties starting with BLetter index including CO counties
- SUMMIT County, OH fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- VENTURA County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WAKE County, NC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BALDWIN County, AL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Boulder County, Colorado?
Boulder County recorded 213 total traffic fatalities across 193 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 28 fatalities. The county averages approximately 23.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Boulder County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (193 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Boulder County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Colorado may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Boulder County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Boulder County is increasing. This indicates that traffic fatalities have risen over the data period, warranting attention to road safety initiatives.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Boulder County?
Boulder County has a fatality rate of 8.6 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Boulder County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Boulder County ranks #1,901 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #25 of 33 rated counties in CO, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Boulder County compare to the rest of Colorado?
Boulder County's per-capita rate of 8.6 per 100,000 residents is below the Colorado county average of 15.8. Visit the Colorado state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Boulder County come from?
All road fatality data comes from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes on public roads in the United States. FARS data covers the period 2016-2023 and includes all crashes resulting in at least one fatality within 30 days.