COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Portage County, Ohio
Road fatality data for Portage County (OH). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 116
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 20
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 12.3
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Portage County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 20 deaths in the latest year.
Portage County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Portage County ranks #1,526 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #45 of 86 rated counties in OH. Portage County's fatality rate of 12.3 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,526 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #605 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #45 of 86
- in OH by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost PORTAGE-133 · Portage 12.3/100k · #1,526 of 2,328
Portage County · 12.3/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 12.3/100k
- PHOTO #1,526 of 2,328
- VS-ST 116 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS 107 crash
- NHTSA -13.6% 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 Portage County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Portage 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 Ohio, Portage County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 14.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Portage County's rate and the state average is 1.9 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Morgan County, at 22.0 per 100,000 (a difference of 9.7). 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).
Portage County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
12 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 65% 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 Portage County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Portage 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 PLetter index including OH counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Portage County, Ohio?
Portage County recorded 116 total traffic fatalities across 107 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 20 fatalities. The county averages approximately 12.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Portage County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (107 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Portage County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Ohio may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Portage County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Portage 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 Portage County?
Portage County has a fatality rate of 12.3 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 Portage County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Portage County ranks #1,526 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #45 of 86 rated counties in OH, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Portage County compare to the rest of Ohio?
Portage County's per-capita rate of 12.3 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 Portage 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.