COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Pottawattamie County, Iowa
Road fatality data for Pottawattamie County (IA). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 94
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 11
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 11.8
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Pottawattamie County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 11 deaths in the latest year.
Pottawattamie County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Pottawattamie County ranks #1,568 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #35 of 68 rated counties in IA. Pottawattamie County's fatality rate of 11.8 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,568 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #769 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #35 of 68
- in IA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost POTTAWATTAMI · Pottawattamie 11.8/100k · #1,568 of 2,328
Pottawattamie County · 11.8/100k · increasing
- AVG 11.8/100k
- YOY #1,568 of 2,328
- RATE 94 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK 91 crash
- TREND -25.2% vs IA
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 → · Iowa state profile →
How does Pottawattamie County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Pottawattamie County is 25% 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 Iowa, Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie County's rate and the state average is 4.0 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Madison County, at 23.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 11.8). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Louisa County (66.6), Union County (50.4), Harrison County (47.7), Cass County (38.1), Floyd County (32.6), Grundy County (32.3), Iowa County (30.5), Cedar County (27.3), Poweshiek County (27.1), Page County (26.6), Boone County (26.3), Winneshiek County (25.2), Wright County (23.7), Madison County (23.6).
Pottawattamie 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 67% 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 Pottawattamie County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Pottawattamie County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Iowa statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for IA
- 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 IA counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Pottawattamie County, Iowa?
Pottawattamie County recorded 94 total traffic fatalities across 91 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 11 fatalities. The county averages approximately 10.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Pottawattamie County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (91 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Pottawattamie County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Iowa may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Pottawattamie County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie County?
Pottawattamie County has a fatality rate of 11.8 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 Pottawattamie County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Pottawattamie County ranks #1,568 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #35 of 68 rated counties in IA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Pottawattamie County compare to the rest of Iowa?
Pottawattamie County's per-capita rate of 11.8 per 100,000 residents is below the Iowa county average of 15.8. Visit the Iowa state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Pottawattamie 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.