COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Ottawa County: lower-rate fatality band
Ottawa County (OH) is in the lower per-capita third: 7.5/100k (#2,000 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 43
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 3
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 7.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Stable
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Ottawa County ranks #2,000 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (7.5/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Ottawa County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Ottawa County sits in the lower-rate third at 7.5 per 100k (#2,000 of 2,328), #71 of 86 in OH.
- #2,000 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #1,584 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #71 of 86
- in OH by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost OTTAWA-123 · Ottawa 7.5/100k · #2,000 of 2,328
Ottawa County · 7.5/100k · stable
- PHOTO 7.5/100k
- VS-ST #2,000 of 2,328
- CRASH 43 book
- FARS Stable
- NHTSA 37 crash
- MILE -47.3% vs OH
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 → · Ohio state profile →
How does Ottawa County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Ottawa County is 47% 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 Ohio, Ottawa County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 14.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Ottawa County's rate and the state average is 6.7 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Morgan County, at 22.0 per 100,000 (a difference of 14.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Fayette County (38.2), Harrison County (35.3), Noble County (34.9), Preble County (34.5), Pike County (29.6), Gallia County (27.6), Guernsey County (26.3), Vinton County (24.1), Fulton County (23.8), Clinton County (23.8), Hardin County (23.1), Madison County (22.4), Carroll County (22.4), Morgan County (22.0).
Ottawa County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
8 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
More road safety data related to Ottawa County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Ottawa County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Ohio statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for OH
- 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 OLetter index including OH counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Ottawa County, Ohio?
Ottawa County recorded 43 total traffic fatalities across 37 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 3 fatalities. The county averages approximately 4.8 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Ottawa County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Ottawa County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Ohio may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Ottawa County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Ottawa County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Ottawa County?
Ottawa County has a fatality rate of 7.5 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 Ottawa County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Ottawa County ranks #2,000 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #71 of 86 rated counties in OH, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Ottawa County compare to the rest of Ohio?
Ottawa County's per-capita rate of 7.5 per 100,000 residents is below the Ohio county average of 14.2. Visit the Ohio state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Ottawa 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.