I-35 in Texas: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 753 fatal crashes on I-35 in Texas killed 841 people, the 3rd most of 443 numbered roads in Texas. In 2024 there were 68 fatal crashes and 81 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 17 counties of Texas. All fatal crashes in Texas. I-35 in every state.
Deaths on I-35 in Texas by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 68 | 81 |
| 2023 | 64 | 70 |
| 2022 | 89 | 101 |
| 2021 | 89 | 105 |
| 2020 | 61 | 65 |
| 2019 | 70 | 75 |
| 2018 | 73 | 80 |
| 2017 | 84 | 97 |
| 2016 | 82 | 88 |
| 2015 | 73 | 79 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-35 in Texas: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Travis County had the most fatal crashes on I-35 from 2015 to 2024: 169, with 179 deaths. Travis, Bexar and McLennan counties together held 47% of fatal crashes on I-35 in Texas from 2015 to 2024; the 15 listed held 99%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis County | 11 | 169 | 179 |
| 2 | Bexar County | 8 | 117 | 131 |
| 3 | McLennan County | 4 | 66 | 75 |
| 4 | Bell County | 8 | 62 | 66 |
| 5 | Hays County | 7 | 60 | 68 |
| 6 | Williamson County | 3 | 42 | 44 |
| 7 | Comal County | 6 | 41 | 41 |
| 8 | Webb County | 3 | 39 | 43 |
| 9 | La Salle County | 3 | 32 | 49 |
| 10 | Cooke County | 8 | 31 | 36 |
| 11 | Denton County | 0 | 25 | 28 |
| 12 | Frio County | 3 | 22 | 25 |
| 13 | Medina County | 0 | 17 | 24 |
| 14 | Hill County | 3 | 17 | 19 |
| 15 | Guadalupe County | 1 | 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-35 in Texas
The heaviest slot is Saturday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Friday), with 55 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 2 am to 3 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 | 5.7 percent, 43 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 32 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.4 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 0.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 19 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 25 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.9 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 0.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 17 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 3.5 percent, 26 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 24 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.8 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 21 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 4.6 percent, 35 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 27 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 7.3 percent, 55 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 4.5 percent, 34 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan7.0%
- Feb6.1%
- Mar8.0%
- Apr7.4%
- May8.6%
- Jun6.9%
- Jul9.6%
- Aug8.9%
- Sep8.6%
- Oct9.3%
- Nov10.1%
- Dec9.4%
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-35 in Texas
18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 407 miles of I-35 in Texas, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 6 of 12 interstates in Texas and 16 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-35 in Texas first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 33%; a pedestrian in 29%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 21%, a rollover in 8.1%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 248 | 33% |
| Pedestrian | 215 | 29% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 154 | 21% |
| Rollover | 61 | 8.1% |
| Parked vehicle | 34 | 4.5% |
| Other | 31 | 4.1% |
| Cyclist | 9 | 1.2% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.1% |
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-35 in Texas compare with the state
The largest difference from Texas: from 2015 to 2024, 3.7% of fatal crashes on I-35 in Texas were at or near an intersection, against 22% across Texas. Also above the Texas share: distracted drivers and pedestrians. Below it: rural roads, drinking drivers, speeding and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Texas. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 753 crashes.
| I-35 | Texas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 30% | 38% | below the Texas share |
| At or near an intersection | 3.7% | 22% | below the Texas share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 32% | 31% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A drinking driver | 22% | 26% | below the Texas share |
| Speeding | 28% | 32% | below the Texas share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 14% | 10% | above the Texas share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 44% | 45% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Hit-and-run | 9.4% | 7.6% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A motorcycle involved | 9.2% | 14% | below the Texas share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 29% | 18% | above the Texas 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-35 in Texas
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-35 in Texas?
- 753 fatal crashes killed 841 people on I-35 in Texas from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 68 fatal crashes and 81 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-35 in Texas do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Travis County had the most fatal crashes on I-35 from 2015 to 2024: 169, with 179 deaths. Bexar County was second with 117.
- When do fatal crashes on I-35 in Texas happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Saturday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Friday), with 55 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-35 in Texas per mile?
- 18.5 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 407 miles of road, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 6 of 12 interstates in Texas and 16 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 Texas with a page
All fatal crashes in Texas, with every road ranked.
Where the I-35 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-35 in Texas (filed under 40 spellings, such as "I-35", "I-35 3RD ST", "I-35 CENTRAL AVE", "I-35 E"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where I-35 splits into I-35E and I-35W, a crash filed under the plain number is counted on the branch it happened on, by its county and coordinates. 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.