Iowa Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where Iowa Traffic Deaths Happen

Iowa had a record-setting year on its roads in 2025. The Iowa DOT’s current fatality count shows 259 people killed, down from 357 in 2024 (a March 2026 DOT update put the total at 260), and the DOT says the total was the lowest it has on record. Even so, the pattern didn’t change much. Nearly three out of four deaths happened in rural Iowa, and motorcyclists and pedestrians still made up a big share.

Polk County had the most deaths of any county in 2024, the latest year in the Iowa DOT’s county breakdown, with 47. The DOT says lane departures, drivers drifting off the road or across the centerline, are the top cause of deaths in Iowa, and more than half of the people killed in 2025 weren’t wearing seat belts.

Iowa’s Highest-Risk Corridors, Road by Road

Some Iowa roads keep showing up in crash reports. Here’s what makes each one tricky, with figures from the Iowa DOT, the State Patrol or a local safety plan wherever they’ve been published.

1. Interstate 80: Council Bluffs to Davenport

I-80 runs the full width of Iowa, from the Missouri River at Council Bluffs through Des Moines, Newton and Iowa City to the Mississippi at Davenport. It’s the state’s main truck route, so you’re sharing it with a steady line of semis, and long, flat stretches make it easy to creep over the limit or drift while tired. Fog, blowing snow and work zones turn ordinary traffic into chain-reaction crashes.

East of Des Moines, the Iowa DOT named I-80 from County Road F-48 to Newton in Jasper County as one of six safety corridors in 2023. Those segments ranked in the top 1% statewide for all crashes and severe crashes in 2016 to 2020 data, and the list also took in Iowa 5 from Iowa 92 to the Monroe County line in Marion County, U.S. 218 from Mount Pleasant to near Salem in Henry County, and Iowa 2 from Donnellson to U.S. 61 in Lee County. In March 2026, the Iowa DOT said a State Patrol push on I-80 and I-35 in central Iowa produced 6,971 citations in 2025, 4,388 of them for speeding.

2. Interstate 35: Through Des Moines and Ames

I-35 crosses Iowa from the Missouri line through Des Moines and Ames to Minnesota. Around Des Moines it shares pavement with I-80 between the Southwest and Northeast Mixmasters, so you get interstate speeds, through-truckers and suburban commuters all merging at once. In Ames, Iowa State traffic and game days add to the load.

North of Ames, the open country is where winter wins. A storm closed I-35 from Ames to the Minnesota border for about 24 hours in late December 2025, the DOT says.

3. Des Moines City Streets: SE 14th, Euclid and Hubbell

I-235 is the downtown spine, but the city’s own data puts much of the danger on its arterials. Des Moines’ 2023 Vision Zero Transportation Safety Action Plan found that 7.4% of the city’s road miles accounted for 59% of crashes that killed or seriously injured someone from 2017 to 2021. That high injury network includes University Avenue, Euclid Avenue, Hubbell Avenue from E. 30th Street, Douglas Avenue, Merle Hay Road, E. 14th Street and SE 14th Street.

SE 14th Street (U.S. 69) and Maury Street on the south side is the standout. The Iowa DOT counted 676 crashes there from January 2014 to February 2025, ranking it fifth in the state for all crashes. Our Des Moines car accident guide covers more of the city’s trouble spots.

4. Interstate 380: Iowa City to Waterloo

I-380 links I-80 near Iowa City to Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, and it carries a big share of eastern Iowa’s commuter traffic. The weak spot is the S-curve in downtown Cedar Rapids, where the interstate bends across the Cedar River and drivers who come in too fast run out of room.

The city leans on speed cameras at the curve. In November 2025 the Iowa DOT approved turning two back on, northbound at J Avenue and southbound at First Avenue, where drivers come out of the S-curve. North of town toward Waterloo, it’s a rural interstate with deer, crosswinds and winter fog.

5. U.S. 20: Sioux City to Dubuque

U.S. 20 crosses northern Iowa from Sioux City past Fort Dodge and Waterloo to Dubuque, where it becomes Dodge Street. The western end is lonely road, and the state named U.S. 20 from Lawton to Moville in Woodbury County a safety corridor in 2023. Fatigue, deer and long distances between towns are part of the risk out there.

In Dubuque, Dodge Street is a busy commercial strip near Kennedy Mall with lots of turning traffic. Out west, Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff’s 2025 safety plan counted 52 fatal crashes and 259 serious-injury crashes in 2014 to 2023, and it names U.S. 20, I-29, Hamilton Boulevard and Gordon Drive among its project locations.

6. U.S. 6 and Highway 1: Iowa City

In Iowa City, U.S. 6 meets Highway 1 at Riverside Drive, then runs east across the south side past Gilbert, Boyrum and Sycamore Streets. It mixes through traffic with shoppers and University of Iowa students on foot and on bikes.

A metro collision analysis for 2017 to 2019 ranked U.S. 6 at S. Gilbert Street, U.S. 6 at Sycamore Street and U.S. 6 at Boyrum Street as the top three intersections in the Iowa City area. Riverside Drive at Highways 1 and 6 came in seventh, and Kansas Avenue at Penn Street in North Liberty ninth.

7. Davenport: Kimberly Road (U.S. 6) and Brady Street (U.S. 61)

Kimberly Road and Brady Street are Davenport’s big retail roads, lined with NorthPark Mall, big-box stores and fast-food lots. Constant turning traffic and drivers beating yellow lights lead to angle crashes and rear-enders.

The City of Davenport says crashes at the Kimberly Road and Fairmount Street signal killed two people and seriously injured four in 2018 to 2022, and both roads are getting federally funded fixes (see the table below).

8. Council Bluffs: I-80, I-29 and U.S. 6

I-80 and I-29 meet in Council Bluffs and share a few miles of freeway near the Missouri River crossing into Omaha. The Iowa DOT has spent years rebuilding about 14 miles of interstate through the metro and called the program substantially complete in November 2025.

East of town, U.S. 6 from just east of Council Bluffs to U.S. 59 in Pottawattamie County is another of the state’s 2023 safety corridors. It’s a two-lane rural highway with farm equipment, hills and run-off-road crashes.

More High-Crash Locations Across Iowa

The corridors above aren’t the whole picture. These are the specific roads and intersections around Iowa with published crash figures.

Several of these are getting work. The Iowa DOT has proposed closing Maury Street west of U.S. 69 to turn the intersection into an offset T, with construction expected to start in spring 2027. Davenport won a $6 million federal Safe Streets grant in January 2026 to turn Kimberly and Fairmount into a roundabout and add dual left-turn lanes at Brady Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway. Des Moines is considering mini roundabouts at both 31st Street intersections, with construction anticipated in spring 2028.

How to Stay Safe on Iowa’s Most Dangerous Roads

You can’t avoid I-80 or a busy city arterial forever, but you can drive them knowing where the trouble is.

For Drivers:

1. Stay in your lane: Lane departures are the top cause of deaths in Iowa. On two-lane highways like U.S. 20 and U.S. 6, a rumble strip under your tires means correct gently, not jerk the wheel.
2. Buckle up, every seat: More than half the people killed on Iowa roads in 2025 weren’t belted. It takes two seconds.
3. Keep your hands off the phone: Iowa’s hands-free law has been fully in force since January 1, 2026, when the warning period ended and tickets began. Set your navigation before you pull out.
4. Slow down for the S-curve: On I-380 in downtown Cedar Rapids, and at the I-35/I-80 Mixmasters in Des Moines, take the posted speed seriously and leave room in front of you.
5. Share the road with farm equipment: At planting and harvest, slow tractors and combines show up on rural highways. Pass only where you can see well ahead.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at signals and marked crosswalks: On wide roads like U.S. 6 in Iowa City or University Avenue in Des Moines, crossing mid-block gives drivers almost no time to react.
2. Make eye contact: Don’t assume a driver turning right has seen you. Wait until the car has stopped.
3. Be visible after dark: Winter nights come early in Iowa. Wear something bright or reflective, and carry a light.

For Cyclists:

1. Use trails where you can: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City all have off-street trail networks.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights, even at dusk, and use hand signals so drivers know what you’re doing.

General Tips:

1. Check 511 before winter drives: I-80, I-35 and I-380 can close in a blizzard. The Iowa DOT’s 511 map shows closures, crashes and plow activity.
2. Plan around construction: Work zones on the interstates around Des Moines and Council Bluffs change often. Merge early and expect sudden stops.

What to Do If You’re Injured in an Iowa Car Accident

A crash on I-80, SE 14th Street or a dark county road can leave you hurt and rattled. What you do in the first few days matters.

1. Call 911. Even if nobody seems badly hurt, get officers to the scene so there’s an official crash report. If anyone is seriously injured, ask for an ambulance.
2. Get checked out. Concussions, whiplash and internal injuries can take hours or days to show up. Go to the ER or urgent care and follow up with your own doctor.
3. Document the scene if it’s safe. Photograph the vehicles, damage, plates, road conditions and signs. Get witnesses’ names and phone numbers, and exchange insurance information with the other driver without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurer may call quickly. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report and know where things stand.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed-work records and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where you crashed. The Iowa State Patrol handles crashes on interstates and state highways, city police handle city streets, and county sheriffs cover unincorporated areas. Our Iowa crash report guide explains how to get a copy from each.

Don’t know which agency responded, or would rather skip the paperwork? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.

Iowa Crash Hot Spot Questions

More Iowa Crash Guides

City crash guides: Des Moines, IA · Cedar Rapids, IA

County accident news: Polk County · Linn County · Pottawattamie County · Scott County · Black Hawk County · Dubuque County · Dallas County · Des Moines County

Nearby states: Illinois crash hot spots · Nebraska crash hot spots · Minnesota crash hot spots · Missouri crash hot spots

For the latest, crashes from around the state are posted in Iowa accident news and our recent accident alerts.