COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Fairfax County: lower-rate fatality band
Fairfax County (VA) is in the lower per-capita third: 3.7/100k (#2,280 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 359
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 42
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 3.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Fairfax County ranks #2,280 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (3.7/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Fairfax County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Fairfax County sits in the lower-rate third at 3.7 per 100k (#2,280 of 2,328), #98 of 105 in VA.
- #2,280 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #145 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #98 of 105
- in VA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost FAIRFAX-59 · Fairfax 3.7/100k · #2,280 of 2,328
Fairfax County · 3.7/100k · increasing
- BOOK 3.7/100k
- TREND #2,280 of 2,328
- CAUSE 359 book
- PHOTO Increasing
- VS-ST near Dakota
- CRASH -79.5% vs VA
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 → · Virginia state profile →
Fairfax County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Dakota
Dakota County
4 per 100k
- Fairfax
Fairfax County
4 per 100k
- Johnson
Johnson County
4 per 100k
- Ramsey
Ramsey County
4 per 100k
- Westchester
Westchester County
4 per 100k
What this shows Fairfax County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Fairfax County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Fairfax County is 79% 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 Virginia, Fairfax County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 18.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Fairfax County's rate and the state average is 14.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Clarke County, at 32.3 per 100,000 (a difference of 28.6). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Sussex County (83.7), Madison County (63.7), Charlotte County (61.8), Halifax County (59.8), Nelson County (54.4), Dinwiddie County (52.9), Buchanan County (47.2), Campbell County (39.8), Wythe County (39.1), Brunswick County (38.1), Accomack County (36.1), Patrick County (34.3), Mecklenburg County (32.6), Clarke County (32.3).
Fairfax County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
4 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 98% 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 Fairfax 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 (3.7 here), outside Virginia.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (359 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Fairfax County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Fairfax County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Virginia statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for VA
- 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 FLetter index including VA counties
- DAKOTA County, MN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- JOHNSON County, KS fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- RAMSEY County, MN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WESTCHESTER County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Fairfax County, Virginia?
Fairfax County recorded 359 total traffic fatalities across 342 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 42 fatalities. The county averages approximately 39.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Fairfax County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (342 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Fairfax County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Virginia may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Fairfax County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Fairfax 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 Fairfax County?
Fairfax County has a fatality rate of 3.7 per 100,000 residents, which puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Fairfax County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Fairfax County ranks #2,280 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #98 of 105 rated counties in VA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Fairfax County compare to the rest of Virginia?
Fairfax County's per-capita rate of 3.7 per 100,000 residents is below the Virginia county average of 18.0. Visit the Virginia state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Fairfax 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.