COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Ward County, North Dakota
Road fatality data for Ward County (ND). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 52
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 10
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 14.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Ward County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 10 deaths in the latest year.
Ward County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Ward County ranks #1,313 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #8 of 13 rated counties in ND. Ward County's fatality rate of 14.6 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,313 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,367 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #8 of 13
- in ND by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost WARD-101 · Ward 14.6/100k · #1,313 of 2,328
Ward County · 14.6/100k · increasing
- PHOTO 14.6/100k
- VS-ST #1,313 of 2,328
- CRASH 52 book
- FARS Increasing
- NHTSA 45 crash
- MILE -18.0% vs ND
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 → · North Dakota state profile →
How does Ward County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Ward County is 18% 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 13 rated counties in North Dakota, Ward County ranks 8 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 17.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Ward County's rate and the state average is 3.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Richland County, at 18.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 3.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: McKenzie County (35.1), Rolette County (34.1), Barnes County (28.0), Morton County (23.6), Williams County (20.5), Walsh County (19.4), Richland County (18.1), Grand Forks County (11.0), Stutsman County (9.3), Stark County (9.1), Cass County (5.6), Burleigh County (3.0).
Ward County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
15 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 56% 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 Ward County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Ward County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- North Dakota statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for ND
- 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 WLetter index including ND counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Ward County, North Dakota?
Ward County recorded 52 total traffic fatalities across 45 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 10 fatalities. The county averages approximately 5.8 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Ward County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Ward County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for North Dakota may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Ward County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Ward 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 Ward County?
Ward County has a fatality rate of 14.6 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 Ward County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Ward County ranks #1,313 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #8 of 13 rated counties in ND, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Ward County compare to the rest of North Dakota?
Ward County's per-capita rate of 14.6 per 100,000 residents is below the North Dakota county average of 17.8. Visit the North Dakota state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Ward 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.