COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Clay County: smaller FARS fatality book
Clay County (IL) holds a smaller FARS book (20, #2,364 of 3,137) with 3 latest-year deaths.
- 20
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 3
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 23.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Above average
- Stable
- Trend
Smaller fatality book
Clay County ranks #2,364 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (20 across 2016-2023) - bottom-third book size.
Clay County in the smaller-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Clay County carries a bottom-third fatality book (20 across 2016-2023, #2,364 of 3,137) at 23.1/100k.
- #677 of 2,328
- higher-rate third
- #2,364 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #24 of 81
- in IL by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost CLAY-25 · Clay 23.1/100k · #677 of 2,328
Clay County · 23.1/100k · stable
- NHTSA 23.1/100k
- MILE #677 of 2,328
- POST 20 book
- BAND Stable
- VOL 17 crash
- AVG +21.5% vs IL
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 → · Illinois state profile →
How does Clay County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Clay County is 22% deadlier 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 Illinois, Clay County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 19.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Clay County's rate and the state average is 4.1 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Ford County, at 30.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 7.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Mason County (55.9), Pike County (55.8), Cumberland County (48.7), Montgomery County (47.0), Lawrence County (40.5), Saline County (39.3), Richland County (38.7), Iroquois County (38.3), Bond County (36.5), Union County (36.0), Ogle County (31.2), Jefferson County (30.3), Ford County (30.2), Stephenson County (30.2).
Clay County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
23 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 29% 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
More road safety data related to Clay County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Clay County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Illinois statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for IL
- 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 CLetter index including IL counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Clay County, Illinois?
Clay County recorded 20 total traffic fatalities across 17 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 3 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Clay County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Clay County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Illinois may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Clay County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Clay County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Clay County?
Clay County has a fatality rate of 23.1 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Clay County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Clay County ranks #677 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #24 of 81 rated counties in IL, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Clay County compare to the rest of Illinois?
Clay County's per-capita rate of 23.1 per 100,000 residents is above the Illinois county average of 19.0. Visit the Illinois state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Clay 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.