How many traffic fatalities occurred in Washington County, Minnesota?

Washington County recorded 85 total traffic fatalities across 80 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 18 fatalities. The county averages approximately 9.4 fatalities per year.

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

Despite a comparatively active crash history (80 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Washington County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Minnesota may provide additional context.

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

The trend in Washington 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 Washington County?

Washington County has a fatality rate of 6.5 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.

How does Washington County compare to the rest of Minnesota?

Washington County's per-capita rate of 6.5 per 100,000 residents is below the Minnesota county average of 11.3. Visit the Minnesota state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.

Where does the road fatality data for Washington 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

Washington County, Minnesota

Road fatality data for Washington County (MN). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

85
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 18
Latest Year Deaths: 6.5
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Washington County ranks #2,102 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #42 of 64 rated counties in MN. Washington County's fatality rate of 6.5 per 100,000 residents puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.

#2,102 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #42 of 64
in MN by rate: 90%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

NHTSA FARS milepost

Milepost WASHINGTON-1 · Washington 6.5/100k · #2,102 of 2,328

Washington County · 6.5/100k · increasing · cause n/a

PHOTO 6.5/100k
VS-ST #2,102 of 2,328
CRASH 85 book
FARS Increasing
NHTSA near District Of Columbia
MILE -42.5% vs MN

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 → · Minnesota state profile →

Washington

7
District O…

7
Hamilton

7
Ocean

7
Santa Clara

7

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

How does Washington County compare?

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

Compare with

Washington County

6.5 per 100k

Minnesota county average

11.3 per 100k

Washington County is 42% 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 Minnesota, Washington County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 11.3 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 Washington County's rate and the state average is 4.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Sherburne County, at 16.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 10.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Faribault County (36.0), Chippewa County (32.9), Kandiyohi County (29.7), Renville County (27.9), Watonwan County (27.1), Redwood County (26.2), Fillmore County (23.2), Houston County (21.5), Morrison County (20.4), Aitkin County (18.6), Lake County (18.4), Rice County (17.7), Becker County (17.0), Sherburne County (16.6).

Washington County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county

Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population

7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 90% 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

Washington County's rate vs. the Minnesota state average

← Back to Minnesota 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 Washington 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 (6.5 here), outside Minnesota.

District Of Columbia County 6.5 /100k · DC Hamilton County 6.5 /100k · IN Ocean County 6.5 /100k · NJ Santa Clara County 6.5 /100k · CA

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (85 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Richmond County 94 deaths · NY Marin County 103 deaths · CA Loudoun County 108 deaths · VA Brown County 119 deaths · WI

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.