COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Cook County: larger FARS fatality book
Cook County (IL) holds a larger FARS book (2,724, #5 of 3,137) with 377 latest-year deaths.
- 2,724
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 377
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 7.4
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Cook County ranks #5 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (2,724 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Cook County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Cook County carries a top-third fatality book (2,724 across 2016-2023, #5 of 3,137) at 7.4/100k.
- #2,008 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #5 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #72 of 81
- in IL by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost COOK-31 · Cook 7.4/100k · #2,008 of 2,328
Cook County · 7.4/100k · increasing
- VOL 7.4/100k
- AVG #2,008 of 2,328
- YOY 2,724 book
- RATE Increasing
- RANK near Anne Arundel
- BOOK -61.1% 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 →
Cook County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Cook
Cook County
7 per 100k
- Anne Arundel
Anne Arundel County
7 per 100k
- King
King County
7 per 100k
- York
York County
8 per 100k
- Bucks
Bucks County
8 per 100k
What this shows Cook County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Cook County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Cook County is 61% 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 Illinois, Cook County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 19.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Cook County's rate and the state average is 11.6 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Ford County, at 30.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 22.8). 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).
Cook County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 86% 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 Cook 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 (7.4 here), outside Illinois.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (2,724 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Cook County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Cook 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
- ANNE ARUNDEL County, MD fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- KING County, WA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- YORK County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BUCKS County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Cook County, Illinois?
Cook County recorded 2,724 total traffic fatalities across 2,533 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 377 fatalities. The county averages approximately 302.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Cook County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (2,533 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Cook County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Illinois may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Cook County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Cook 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 Cook County?
Cook County has a fatality rate of 7.4 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 Cook County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Cook County ranks #2,008 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #72 of 81 rated counties in IL, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Cook County compare to the rest of Illinois?
Cook County's per-capita rate of 7.4 per 100,000 residents is below 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 Cook 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.