I-55 in Illinois: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 251 fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois killed 285 people, the most of any numbered road in Illinois. In 2024 there were 29 fatal crashes and 29 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 15 counties of Illinois. All fatal crashes in Illinois. I-55 in every state.
Deaths on I-55 in Illinois by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29 | 29 |
| 2023 | 26 | 32 |
| 2022 | 28 | 31 |
| 2021 | 25 | 34 |
| 2020 | 26 | 28 |
| 2019 | 23 | 25 |
| 2018 | 22 | 25 |
| 2017 | 24 | 28 |
| 2016 | 21 | 23 |
| 2015 | 27 | 30 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-55 in Illinois: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Will County had the most fatal crashes on I-55 from 2015 to 2024: 60, with 65 deaths. Will, Cook and McLean counties together held 53% of fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois from 2015 to 2024; the 11 listed held 98%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will County | 5 | 60 | 65 |
| 2 | Cook County | 6 | 47 | 54 |
| 3 | McLean County | 3 | 25 | 27 |
| 4 | Sangamon County | 3 | 24 | 24 |
| 5 | Madison County | 2 | 17 | 24 |
| 6 | DuPage County | 2 | 16 | 16 |
| 7 | Montgomery County | 1 | 15 | 21 |
| 8 | Logan County | 2 | 12 | 16 |
| 9 | Livingston County | 1 | 12 | 14 |
| 10 | St. Clair County | 2 | 10 | 10 |
| 11 | Grundy County | 2 | 9 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-55 in Illinois
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 16 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 1 am to 2 am; the worst month is November.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 6.4 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 4.4 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 4.8 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 8 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 2.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 3.2 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.4 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.8 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 10 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan10.4%
- Feb5.2%
- Mar4.0%
- Apr7.6%
- May8.4%
- Jun8.0%
- Jul10.0%
- Aug8.8%
- Sep10.0%
- Oct8.8%
- Nov12.7%
- Dec6.4%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-55 in Illinois
8.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 294 miles of I-55 in Illinois, against 7.2 for all interstates in Illinois. That ranks 3 of 8 interstates in Illinois and 80 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 44%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 29%, a rollover in 9.2%, a pedestrian in 8.0%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 110 | 44% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 72 | 29% |
| Rollover | 23 | 9.2% |
| Pedestrian | 20 | 8.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 12 | 4.8% |
| Other | 12 | 4.8% |
| Cyclist | 1 | 0.4% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois compare with the state
The largest difference from Illinois: from 2015 to 2024, 1.2% of fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois were at or near an intersection, against 30% across Illinois. Also above the Illinois share: speeding. Below it: hit-and-runs, motorcycles and pedestrians. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Illinois. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 251 crashes.
| I-55 | Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 32% | 34% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| At or near an intersection | 1.2% | 30% | below the Illinois share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 28% | 25% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| A drinking driver | 30% | 27% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Speeding | 53% | 37% | above the Illinois share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 7.2% | 9.8% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 44% | 46% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Hit-and-run | 4.0% | 8.4% | below the Illinois share |
| A motorcycle involved | 8.0% | 14% | below the Illinois share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 8.8% | 16% | below the Illinois share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-55 in Illinois?
- 251 fatal crashes killed 285 people on I-55 in Illinois from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 29 fatal crashes and 29 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-55 in Illinois do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Will County had the most fatal crashes on I-55 from 2015 to 2024: 60, with 65 deaths. Cook County was second with 47.
- When do fatal crashes on I-55 in Illinois happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 16 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-55 in Illinois per mile?
- 8.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 294 miles of road, against 7.2 for all interstates in Illinois. That ranks 3 of 8 interstates in Illinois and 80 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Illinois with a page
All fatal crashes in Illinois, with every road ranked.
Where the I-55 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-55 in Illinois (filed under 40 spellings, such as "I- 55", "I-55", "I-55 (I-70)(US-40)", "I-55 (STEVENSON EXPWY)"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.