North Dakota Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where North Dakota Traffic Deaths Happen

North Dakota lost 85 people on its roads in 2025, the lowest yearly total in 29 years, Vision Zero North Dakota reported in May 2026. The detailed breakdowns come from NDDOT’s 2024 crash summary, and they point at the open road. More than half of the 89 people killed in 2024 died in crashes where a vehicle left its lane, and nearly half of those who died in a vehicle with a seat belt weren’t wearing it.

Crashes pile up where people live, but deaths don’t follow the same map. In 2024 Cass County had 2,511 crashes and 7 deaths, and Burleigh had 1,956 crashes and 8 deaths, while oil country’s Williams County had 691 crashes and 7 deaths and McKenzie County had 295 crashes and 5 deaths. And 2026 has been rougher: the North Dakota Highway Patrol’s running count stood at 86 deaths in 78 fatal crashes as of October 27, 2026, already past the 85 for all of 2025.

North Dakota’s High-Risk Corridors, Road by Road

Most of North Dakota’s serious crashes happen on a handful of long highways and a few busy city corners. Here’s what makes each one tricky, with figures from NDDOT, the Highway Patrol, local planners or local news wherever they’ve been published.

1. Interstate 94: Fargo to Bismarck and West

I-94 crosses the whole state, from Fargo through Valley City, Jamestown, Bismarck and Mandan to Dickinson and the Montana line. It’s the main freight route, and the long, straight miles tempt drivers to speed. In winter, ground blizzards can drop visibility to nothing, and NDDOT closes stretches when it gets bad enough.

Traffic gets thick at both ends. In Fargo, the I-94 and I-29 interchange sits a short drive south of West Acres. In Bismarck, the State Street exit feeds U.S. 83, and State Street and Interstate Avenue ranked seventh on NDDOT’s 2017 to 2019 list of the state’s 50 worst urban intersections. In September 2026, a Highway Patrol captain told Valley News Live that speed is a factor in about a third of the state’s deadly wrecks, and troopers were adding patrols on stretches of I-94 and I-29.

2. Interstate 29: Fargo to Grand Forks and the Canadian Border

I-29 runs up the Red River Valley from the South Dakota line through Fargo and Grand Forks to Pembina and the border crossing into Manitoba. North of Fargo it’s farm country, with heavy trucks, fall harvest traffic and nothing to stop the wind. In a ground blizzard, one slowdown can become a chain-reaction crash.

In town, Fargo’s southern growth has made the 52nd Avenue South interchange a rush-hour merge point. In Grand Forks, the 32nd Avenue South exit leads onto one of the state’s most crash-prone streets, covered in the table below.

3. 13th Avenue South and 45th Street: Fargo’s West Acres Area

This is Fargo’s busiest retail district, just west of I-29, with big-box stores and a steady stream of left turns. On NDDOT’s 2018 to 2020 urban high crash list, reported by Valley News Live, 13th Avenue South and 45th Street ranked first in the state, with 76 crashes in three years. Fargo had 20 of the 50 locations on that list.

Newer data tells the same story. The Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG’s 2024 regional Safety Action Plan counted almost 19,000 crashes across the metro from 2018 to 2022, more than 350 of them fatal or serious. Its highest crash scores are concentrated on 13th Avenue South from 21st Street South in Fargo to 9th Street East in West Fargo, 45th Street from Main Avenue to 23rd Avenue South, University Drive from 19th Avenue North to 13th Avenue South, and Main Avenue from Broadway to 18th Street.

4. U.S. Route 2: Grand Forks to Williston

U.S. 2 runs west from Grand Forks through Devils Lake, Rugby and Minot to Stanley and Williston. It carries farm equipment, freight and oilfield traffic, and deer are a threat at dawn and dusk. In Minot, through traffic and trucks share the bypass with local drivers.

Near Grand Forks, at the junction with County Road 5, the airport road, NDDOT announced safety changes in July 2024: painted speed limits, bigger signs, more Highway Patrol enforcement and a consultant to design a long-term fix. At Williston, where U.S. 2 meets U.S. 85, Bakken semis come and go all day.

5. U.S. Route 83: Bismarck to Minot

U.S. 83 links the capital to Minot, and inside Bismarck it’s State Street, the main commercial strip. Century Avenue and State Street ranked third on NDDOT’s 2017 to 2019 list of the 50 worst urban intersections, with 110 crashes, KX News reported.

Growth has pushed trouble north. Bismarck police counted 19 crashes in and around 43rd Avenue and State Street from January 1 to July 21, 2026, up from 9 over the same stretch of 2025, KFYR reported. Between the two cities the highway is fast and open, and it ices over quickly in winter.

6. U.S. Route 85: Williston to Watford City and South

U.S. 85 is the Bakken’s main street, and it’s full of semis, tankers and pickups. NDDOT’s 2024 crash summary counted 944 crashes involving commercial vehicles and heavy trucks statewide that year, and three in four heavy truck crashes were in rural areas. In October 2024, NDDOT and McKenzie County finished a $100 million project that took U.S. 85 to four lanes from Watford City to the Long X Bridge.

More lanes don’t fix every crossing. At U.S. 85 and County Road 30 near Watford City, two crashes killed three people between September 2025 and April 2026, the only fatal crashes recorded there since at least 2016, according to the McKenzie County Farmer. Both were angle crashes, and NDDOT is reviewing the area.

7. North Dakota Highway 22: Dickinson to Killdeer

ND 22 heads north from Dickinson in Stark County into Dunn County and Killdeer, through hilly ranch country and into the oil patch. It’s a two-lane road with narrow shoulders, and the oilfield traffic means a lot of slow trucks and a lot of passing.

Coming over a hill, you can find a truck turning into a well site or a cow on the road. At night, with no lighting, it’s worse.

More High-Crash Locations Across North Dakota

NDDOT’s urban crash lists, local planners and police have put numbers on specific intersections in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and the oil patch. Some lists are a few years old, so each row shows its years.

Some of these spots are getting work. In Fargo, a safety project was underway at 45th Street South near 23rd Avenue South in 2024, and the city began turning off flashing yellow left-turn arrows at some signals during peak hours. Bismarck adjusted signal timing at 43rd Avenue and State Street in July 2026, and police said they’d ask for more changes if crashes didn’t drop. Out west, NDDOT is reviewing the U.S. 85 and County Road 30 junction after the 2025 and 2026 crashes.

How to Stay Safe on North Dakota’s Most Dangerous Roads

Most of these crashes come down to speed, weather, seat belts and staying in your lane. A few habits help.

For Drivers:

1. Buckle up, every trip: In 2024, 30 of the 62 people who died in a vehicle with a seat belt available weren’t wearing one. In a rural rollover, the belt keeps you inside.
2. Stay in your lane: Lane departure crashes killed 48 people in 2024. Put the phone down and take breaks on long runs like I-94 or U.S. 2.
3. Drive for the conditions: The posted limit on I-94 or I-29 means nothing in a ground blizzard. If NDDOT closes the interstate, don’t go around the gate.
4. Give trucks room: On U.S. 85, U.S. 2 and ND 22, semis need a long distance to stop. Pass only where you can see well ahead.
5. Take busy city turns slowly: At corners like 13th Avenue South and 45th Street in Fargo or State Street in Bismarck, wait for a real gap before turning left.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at signals: On wide streets like 13th Avenue South or State Street, crossing mid-block gives drivers almost no time to react.
2. Be visible after dark: Winter nights come early. Wear something bright or reflective.
3. Make eye contact: Don’t assume a driver turning right on red has seen you.

For Cyclists:

1. Use paths where you can: Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks all have off-street trails that beat riding on busy arterials.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights, even in daylight.
3. Watch turning drivers: They often don’t see cyclists. Never assume a driver will yield.

General Tips:

1. Carry a winter kit: Blankets, water, a charger and a shovel can get you through hours on a closed highway.
2. Check before you go: NDDOT’s travel information map shows road conditions and closures as they happen.
3. Watch for deer: Dawn and dusk are the worst on rural two-lanes. Brake firmly and stay in your lane rather than swerving.

What to Do If You’re Injured in a North Dakota Car Accident

A bad crash on I-94, U.S. 85 or State Street can leave you hurt and unsure what to do first. The first hours and days matter.

1. Call 911. Even if nobody seems badly hurt, get law enforcement to the scene. They’ll write the official crash report, which is what insurers go by. If anyone is seriously injured, ask for an ambulance.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away. Go to the ER or urgent care, and follow up with your own doctor in the days after.
3. Document the scene if you can. If it’s safe, photograph the vehicles, damage, plates and road conditions. Get witnesses’ names and numbers, and swap insurance information without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurance company may call soon after the crash. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report and understand your options.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed work, and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where you crashed. Inside a city, it’s usually the local police department, and outside city limits it’s the county sheriff or the North Dakota Highway Patrol. Our North Dakota crash report guide explains how to get a copy from each one, including through NDDOT.

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

North Dakota Crash Hot Spot Questions

More North Dakota Crash Guides

County accident news: Cass County · Ward County · Grand Forks County · Williams County · Morton County · Stutsman County · Stark County

Nearby states: Minnesota crash hot spots · South Dakota crash hot spots · Montana crash hot spots

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