How many traffic fatalities occurred in Washoe County, Nevada?

Washoe County recorded 368 total traffic fatalities across 352 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 48 fatalities. The county averages approximately 40.9 fatalities per year.

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

Despite a comparatively active crash history (352 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Washoe County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Nevada may provide additional context.

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

The trend in Washoe 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 Washoe County?

Washoe County has a fatality rate of 9.6 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.

How does Washoe County compare to the rest of Nevada?

Washoe County's per-capita rate of 9.6 per 100,000 residents is below the Nevada county average of 21.4. Visit the Nevada state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.

Where does the road fatality data for Washoe 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

Washoe County, Nevada

Road fatality data for Washoe County (NV). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

368
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 48
Latest Year Deaths: 9.6
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Washoe County ranks #1,809 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #7 of 9 rated counties in NV. Washoe County's fatality rate of 9.6 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.

#1,809 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #7 of 9
in NV by rate: 77%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

Highway fatality milepost

Milepost WASHOE-31 · Washoe 9.6/100k · #1,809 of 2,328

Washoe County · 9.6/100k · increasing · cause n/a

RATE 9.6/100k
RANK #1,809 of 2,328
BOOK 368 book
TREND Increasing
CAUSE near Cameron
PHOTO -55.1% vs NV

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 → · Nevada state profile →

Washoe

10
Cameron

10
Santa Cruz

10
Solano

10
Franklin

10

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

How does Washoe County compare?

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

Compare with

Washoe County

9.6 per 100k

Nevada county average

21.4 per 100k

Washoe County is 55% 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 9 rated counties in Nevada, Washoe County ranks 7 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 21.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Washoe County's rate and the state average is 11.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Elko County, at 9.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.4). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Nye County (55.6), Churchill County (50.4), Humboldt County (29.2), Ind.City-Carson City County (12.1), Lyon County (11.2), Clark County (11.0), Elko County (9.2), Douglas County (4.0).

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

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

10 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 77% 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

Washoe County's rate vs. the Nevada state average

← Back to Nevada 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 Washoe 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 (9.6 here), outside Nevada.

Cameron County 9.6 /100k · TX Santa Cruz County 9.6 /100k · CA Solano County 9.6 /100k · CA Franklin County 9.7 /100k · OH

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (368 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Jefferson County 369 deaths · CO Monroe County 369 deaths · NY Williamson County 370 deaths · TX Anne Arundel County 365 deaths · MD

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.