COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Lake County, Montana
Road fatality data for Lake County (MT). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 75
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 8
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 24.0
- Per 100k Residents
- Above average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Lake County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 8 deaths in the latest year.
Lake County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Lake County ranks #628 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #7 of 19 rated counties in MT. Lake County's fatality rate of 24.0 per 100,000 residents leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.
- #628 of 2,328
- higher-rate third
- #971 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #7 of 19
- in MT by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost LAKE-47 · Lake 24.0/100k · #628 of 2,328
Lake County · 24.0/100k · increasing
- POST 24.0/100k
- BAND #628 of 2,328
- VOL 75 book
- AVG Increasing
- YOY 72 crash
- RATE -1.6% vs MT
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 → · Montana state profile →
How does Lake County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Lake County is About the same as 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 Montana, Lake County ranks 7 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 24.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Lake County's rate and the state average is 0.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Jefferson County, at 23.0 per 100,000 (a difference of 1.0). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Big Horn County (70.6), Carbon County (61.3), Lincoln County (41.1), Park County (33.5), Sanders County (29.2), Roosevelt County (29.1), Jefferson County (23.0), Glacier County (22.0), Flathead County (20.2), Missoula County (18.9), Yellowstone County (15.8), Ravalli County (14.7), Gallatin County (13.4), Hill County (12.3).
Lake County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
24 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 27% 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 Lake County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Lake County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Montana statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for MT
- 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 LLetter index including MT counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Lake County, Montana?
Lake County recorded 75 total traffic fatalities across 72 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 8 fatalities. The county averages approximately 8.3 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Lake County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (72 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Lake County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Montana may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Lake County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Lake 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 Lake County?
Lake County has a fatality rate of 24.0 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 Lake County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Lake County ranks #628 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #7 of 19 rated counties in MT, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Lake County compare to the rest of Montana?
Lake County's per-capita rate of 24.0 per 100,000 residents is below the Montana county average of 24.4. Visit the Montana state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Lake 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.