COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Mesa County, Colorado
Road fatality data for Mesa County (CO). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 144
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 21
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 13.2
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Mesa County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 21 deaths in the latest year.
Mesa County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Mesa County ranks #1,429 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #17 of 33 rated counties in CO. Mesa County's fatality rate of 13.2 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,429 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #474 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #17 of 33
- in CO by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost MESA-77 · Mesa 13.2/100k · #1,429 of 2,328
Mesa County · 13.2/100k · increasing
- YOY 13.2/100k
- RATE #1,429 of 2,328
- RANK 144 book
- BOOK Increasing
- TREND 140 crash
- CAUSE -16.3% vs CO
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 → · Colorado state profile →
How does Mesa County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Mesa County is 16% 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 Colorado, Mesa County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Mesa County's rate and the state average is 2.6 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Fremont County, at 13.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.7). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Park County (38.6), Routt County (35.9), Archuleta County (35.2), Logan County (29.1), Rio Grande County (26.8, limited data), Montezuma County (26.4), Pueblo County (23.6), La Plata County (21.3), Morgan County (20.3), Delta County (18.9), Gunnison County (17.3, limited data), Summit County (16.4), Weld County (16.1), Fremont County (13.9).
Mesa County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
13 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 61% 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 Mesa County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Mesa County vs other counties by rate Per-100k fatality comparison
- Colorado statewide fatality data All counties in this state
- Deadliest states for driving Context for CO
- State fatality changes Year-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. counties Alphabetical county index
- All state profiles 51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparison Route-level lookup tool
- National statistics download FARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality data Methodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road risk Rate denominator explained
- Counties starting with M Letter index including CO counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Mesa County, Colorado?
Mesa County recorded 144 total traffic fatalities across 140 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 21 fatalities. The county averages approximately 16.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Mesa County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (140 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Mesa County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Colorado may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Mesa County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Mesa 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 Mesa County?
Mesa County has a fatality rate of 13.2 per 100,000 residents, which places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Mesa County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Mesa County ranks #1,429 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #17 of 33 rated counties in CO, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Mesa County compare to the rest of Colorado?
Mesa County's per-capita rate of 13.2 per 100,000 residents is below the Colorado county average of 15.8. Visit the Colorado state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Mesa 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.