COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Lake County: larger FARS fatality book
Lake County (IL) holds a larger FARS book (386, #133 of 3,137) with 60 latest-year deaths.
- 386
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 60
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 8.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Lake County ranks #133 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (386 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Lake County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Lake County carries a top-third fatality book (386 across 2016-2023, #133 of 3,137) at 8.5/100k.
- #1,916 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #133 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #68 of 81
- in IL by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost LAKE-97 · Lake 8.5/100k · #1,916 of 2,328
Lake County · 8.5/100k · increasing
- MILE 8.5/100k
- POST #1,916 of 2,328
- BAND 386 book
- VOL Increasing
- AVG near Brazoria
- YOY -55.3% 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 →
Lake County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Benton
Benton County
8 per 100k
- Lake
Lake County
9 per 100k
- Brazoria
Brazoria County
9 per 100k
- San Diego
San Diego County
9 per 100k
- Boulder
Boulder County
9 per 100k
What this shows Lake County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Lake County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Lake County is 55% 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, Lake 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 Lake County's rate and the state average is 10.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Ford County, at 30.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 21.7). 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).
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
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 Lake 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 (8.5 here), outside Illinois.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (386 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
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
- 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 LLetter index including IL counties
- BRAZORIA County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SAN DIEGO County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BENTON County, AR fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BOULDER County, CO fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Lake County, Illinois?
Lake County recorded 386 total traffic fatalities across 359 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 60 fatalities. The county averages approximately 42.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Lake County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (359 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Lake County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Illinois 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 8.5 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 Lake County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Lake County ranks #1,916 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #68 of 81 rated counties in IL, 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 Illinois?
Lake County's per-capita rate of 8.5 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 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.