Des Moines, Dubuque had most crash-prone intersections in Iowa for 2023
Every year, thousands of car crashes happen at intersections across Iowa. But, are some intersections worse than others? Data from the Iowa Department of Transportation shows which intersections across the state were the most accident-prone in 2023.
How many people died from vehicle crashes in 2023?
Iowa saw a higher number of vehicle fatalities in 2023, with more crashrelated deaths occurring in 2023 than in the last five years. In total, 377
people died in crashes on Iowa’s roadways. Urban areas saw a lower rate of crash-related fatalities. There were 262 deaths due to collisions in rural areas in comparison to 115 in urban, according to the Iowa Department of Transportations traffic fatality count.
As of March, 46 people have died from vehicle crashes in Iowa during 2024. This is 36% fewer crash-related incidents than this time of year in 2023.
How frequently did vehicle crashes occur at intersections in Iowa for 2023?
Iowa’s roads are home to 115,274 intersections. In 2023 about 11% of those intersections – 12,689 in total – experienced car crashes.
How frequently did vehicle crashes occur in 2023 for Des Moines?
Of the 10,461 intersections in Des Moines, 22% experienced crashes during 2023.
What cities had intersections with the most vehicle crashes in 2023?
Five Iowa cities made up the list of top ten intersections with the most car collisions, with Des Moines having the most intersections listed. That’s not surprising since intersections with higher traffic flow are expected to have more crashes compared to low-traffic intersections, said Tracey Bramble, information specialist for the Iowa DOT. No fatalities occurred at these intersections in 2023, just a lot of calls to insurance companies.
1 Des Moines: Five intersections
2 Ankeny: Two intersections
3 Dubuque: One intersection
4 Grimes: One intersection 5 Sioux City: One intersection
What intersections in Iowa had the most vehicle crashes in 2023?
#8 (tie) Sioux City
At the foot of a bridge connecting Iowa and Nebraska over the Missouri River is the U.S. 77 and Wesley Parkway intersection. In 2023, there were 23 crashes at the intersection. The daily average number of vehicles entering the intersection last year were just over 36,000. There were two hitand-run crashes.
#8 (tie) Des Moines
Take extra caution when going to visit Merle Hay Mall because the Douglas Avenue and Merle Hay Road intersection saw 23 collisions in 2023. Traffic on U.S. Highway 6 and Iowa Highway 28 also route through this intersection. One crash resulted in serious injuries, according to data from the Iowa DOT. There were also seven hitand-run crashes at the intersection last year.
#8 (tie) Des Moines
There is a reason school zones have 25 miles per hour speed limits. The intersection of East University Avenue and East 14th Street saw 23 vehicle crashes in 2023 near East High School. An average of 27,000 people use the intersection daily. There were 11 hit-and-runs there in 2023.
#7 Des Moines
The intersection of Maury Street and Southeast 14th Street (U.S. Highway 69) near Des Moines’ compost center saw 24 vehicle crashes. There were eight hit-and-runs at this location in 2023.
#6 Ankeny
There were 25 crashes at West First Street and North Ankeny Boulevard (U.S. Highway 69) in 2023. This area saw zero hit-and-runs last year.
#5 Des Moines
In 2023, East Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street experienced 26 crashes. Three crashes were hit-and-runs, with more than 34,500 vehicles entering the intersection on a daily basis.
#3 (tie) Grimes
Of the list of intersections with the most crashes in 2023, Southeast 37th Street and Southeast Grimes Boulevard had the highest number of daily vehicles, averaging nearly 42,000. There were 27 vehicle crashes at the intersection and two hit-and-runs in 2023.
#3 (tie) Ankeny
Southeast Oralabor Road in Ankeny is often full of cars heading for Interstate 35 first thing in the morning and during rush hour. The intersection of Southeast Delaware Avenue and Southeast Oralabor Road saw 27 vehicle crashes and one hit-and-run in 2023.
#1 (tie) Dubuque
Near the Kennedy Mall in Dubuque at the intersection of Wacker Drive and Dodge Street (U.S. Highway 20) there were 28 vehicle crashes. One hitand-run was reported in 2023.
#1 (tie) Des Moines
Not only did Des Moines have the highest number of intersections listed, it also had one of the intersections with the most crashes in 2023. There were 28 vehicle collisions at East Watrous Avenue and Southeast 14 Street. The intersection saw two hit-andruns in 2023 as well.
How many hit-and-runs were fatal in 2023?
There was only one fatal hitand-run crash in Iowa. It occurred at the Sioux City intersection where Wesley Parkway meets Sixth Street and West Fourth Street. There were five hit-and-runs in total there in 2023.