How many traffic fatalities occurred in Ottawa County, Michigan?

Ottawa County recorded 174 total traffic fatalities across 163 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 17 fatalities. The county averages approximately 19.3 fatalities per year.

What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Ottawa County?

Despite a comparatively active crash history (163 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Ottawa County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Michigan may provide additional context.

Is the trend of road fatalities in Ottawa County increasing or decreasing?

The trend in Ottawa County is increasing. This indicates that traffic fatalities have risen over the data period, warranting attention to road safety initiatives.

How does Ottawa County compare to the rest of Michigan?

Ottawa County's per-capita rate of 5.6 per 100,000 residents is below the Michigan county average of 15.1. Visit the Michigan 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.

COUNTY FATALITY DATA

Ottawa County, Michigan

Q: What is the fatality rate per capita in Ottawa County?

Ottawa County has a fatality rate of 5.6 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.

Road fatality data for Ottawa County (MI). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

174
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 17
Latest Year Deaths: 5.6
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Ottawa County ranks #2,167 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #65 of 74 rated counties in MI. Ottawa County's fatality rate of 5.6 per 100,000 residents puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.

#2,167 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #65 of 74
in MI by rate: 93%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

FARS milepost strip

Milepost OTTAWA-139 · Ottawa 5.6/100k · #2,167 of 2,328

Ottawa County · 5.6/100k · increasing · cause n/a

RATE 5.6/100k
RANK #2,167 of 2,328
BOOK 174 book
TREND Increasing
CAUSE near Onondaga
PHOTO -62.8% vs MI

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 → · Michigan state profile →

Prince Wil…

6
Ottawa

6
Onondaga

6
Rockland

6
Douglas

6

What this shows Ottawa County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.

How does Ottawa County compare?

2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.

Compare with

Ottawa County

5.6 per 100k

Michigan county average

15.1 per 100k

Ottawa County is 63% 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 Michigan, Ottawa County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.1 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 Ottawa County's rate and the state average is 9.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Calhoun County, at 19.5 per 100,000 (a difference of 13.9). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Mackinac County (55.3), Roscommon County (50.3), Arenac County (39.6), Benzie County (32.5), Wexford County (29.3), Clare County (28.7), Sanilac County (27.2), Lake County (23.6), Manistee County (23.5), Kalkaska County (21.6), Missaukee County (19.6), Newaygo County (19.6), Calhoun County (19.5), Lenawee County (19.5).

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

6 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 93% 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 · 2026-08-09

Ottawa County's rate vs. the Michigan state average

← Back to Michigan All States

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) This information is for research and informational purposes only

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Counties with similar FARS profiles

Two cross-state peer sets for Ottawa 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 (5.6 here), outside Michigan.

Onondaga County 5.6 /100k · NY Rockland County 5.6 /100k · NY Prince William County 5.5 /100k · VA Douglas County 5.7 /100k · CO

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (174 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Cumberland County 173 deaths · ME Anoka County 177 deaths · MN Waukesha County 177 deaths · WI Northampton County 170 deaths · PA

Verify with NHTSA FARS →

Verify with FHWA →

Source and method. PlainRoadSafety is rendered directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). PlainRoadSafety aggregates published FARS records and does not invent a fatality count the census does not report. County figures are computed directly from NHTSA FARS census data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our Editorial & Corrections Policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or Report a correction. Data current as of October 2024.