Oregon Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where Oregon Traffic Deaths Happen

ODOT’s initial count shows 487 people died on Oregon roads in 2025, down from 539 in 2024 and 587 in 2023. A little more than half of those deaths, 265, happened on highways ODOT runs, and the other 222 were on city and county roads. The drop in deaths hasn’t carried over to serious injuries, though. ODOT’s preliminary count for 2025 is 3,717, the highest in the last five years.

ODOT says intersections and lane or roadway departures are the most common factors in Oregon’s fatal and serious-injury crashes, and speeding plays a part in about 25% of them.

Oregon’s High-Risk Corridors, Road by Road

These roads keep coming up, from the interstates to the east Portland arterials that dominate the city’s crash maps, with figures from ODOT, Portland, Metro and local reporting where published.

1. Interstate 5 (I-5): Salem to Portland

I-5 from Salem north through Woodburn and Wilsonville carries a nonstop mix of commuters and freight. The Boone Bridge over the Willamette at Wilsonville is a daily choke point, and when traffic stacks up there, rear-end and sideswipe crashes follow.

Through central Portland it gets tighter. From the I-405 junction near the Fremont Bridge, past the Rose Quarter and the I-84 interchange, to the Marquam Bridge, short ramps and closely spaced interchanges mean a lot of merging in very little space.

2. Powell Boulevard (U.S. 26): Inner Southeast to the Gresham Line

Inside Portland, U.S. 26 is Powell Boulevard, a state highway that doubles as a neighborhood main street. Metro’s high injury corridor profiles counted 6 deaths and 38 serious injuries on outer Powell, SE 84th to SE 168th, from 2016 to 2020, plus 5 deaths and 21 serious injuries on inner Powell between McLoughlin Boulevard and 82nd Avenue. Its corner with SE 174th Avenue ranks seventh on the city’s high crash intersection list.

ODOT is rebuilding outer Powell with sidewalks, bike lanes, a center turn lane, better lighting and flashing beacons at mid-block crossings. The second phase started in spring 2025 and is expected to take about five years, after which the road goes to the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

3. 82nd Avenue: Northeast Portland to Clackamas County

82nd Avenue runs north and south through east Portland, lined with car lots, strip malls, bus stops and a lot of people on foot. The city counted nine deaths on 82nd from 2015 to 2019, and four more between January 2020 and June 2022. In those same five years the city tracked 142 Vision Zero crashes there, its term for any deadly or serious crash for people in vehicles plus every crash involving someone walking or biking, and about half of them hurt or killed someone on foot.

Its intersections with NE Glisan Street and E Burnside Street rank fifth and eighth on PBOT’s high crash intersection list. There’s some good news, too. PBOT reported no deadly crashes on 82nd Avenue in 2025, a year when Portland’s traffic deaths fell to 39.

4. 122nd Avenue: Marine Drive to Foster Road

122nd is east Portland’s main north and south arterial, five lanes wide in many places with long blocks between signals. Three of the ten intersections on PBOT’s high crash intersection list sit on it: NE Halsey Street (second), SE Stark Street (sixth) and SE Division Street (ninth).

Metro’s profiles split it in two. North of NE Davis Street to Marine Drive, there were 3 deaths and 22 serious injuries from 2016 to 2020, and from E Burnside to SE Foster Road there were 7 deaths and 25 serious injuries.

5. SE Division Street: 79th Avenue to Gresham

Metro’s 2016 to 2020 high injury corridor profiles counted 14 deaths and 38 serious injuries on outer Division, from SE 79th Avenue to SE 178th. It’s wide and straight, and for years it encouraged highway speeds through a dense, walkable part of town.

PBOT dropped the speed limit to 30 mph and then rebuilt Division from 80th to 174th between summer 2021 and early 2023, adding raised center medians, more signalized crossings, lighting and sidewalk infill.

6. SE Stark Street: Mount Tabor to Gresham

Stark carries traffic from the Mount Tabor area all the way into Gresham. Metro counted 9 deaths and 24 serious injuries on inner Stark, SE Thorburn Street to SE 151st Avenue, from 2016 to 2020, and 5 deaths and 28 serious injuries on outer Stark from SE 153rd Avenue to NE Hood Avenue in Gresham.

PBOT calls Stark a high crash corridor for every mode, and says it has the sixth highest number of deadly and serious-injury crashes for people in cars. Its Safer Outer Stark project finished construction on its repaving and protected bike lane phase from 108th to 122nd in January 2026, and new crossings at six intersections are planned for 2026 to 2027.

7. U.S. 26 Mount Hood Highway: Sandy to Warm Springs

Past Sandy, U.S. 26 climbs through the Mount Hood villages to Government Camp, then drops over the mountain toward Warm Springs. Ski traffic, snow, ice and tired drivers heading home on Sunday night make it a hard winter drive.

The east side has the numbers. A 2023 road safety audit of the stretch from Wapinitia Pass to Warm Springs found 207 crashes from 2017 to 2021, including 16 fatal crashes that killed 19 people, and about 62% of all crashes involved vehicles leaving the road. ODOT plans to clear roadside hazards and add shoulder rumble strips there, with construction expected from 2027 to 2029.

8. Interstate 84: Portland to The Dalles

I-84 follows the Columbia River east from Portland through the Gorge, past Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks and Hood River to The Dalles. It’s a major truck route, and the Gorge throws everything at it: fierce east winds, freezing rain and rockfall.

Between Hood River and The Dalles the road is fast and exposed, and a gust or a patch of black ice can push a light vehicle or empty trailer out of its lane.

9. Oregon Route 22: Salem to Detroit Lake

OR 22 runs right through the Salem area and then climbs the North Santiam Canyon past Mill City and Gates to Detroit Lake. Around Salem, a Salem Reporter analysis of 2024 crashes found 5 fatal crashes on Highway 22 between Brunks Corner and southeast Mill Creek, compared with 2 each on Commercial Street SE, Kuebler Boulevard and Lancaster Drive NE.

Farther up the canyon the highway narrows, with steep grades, tight curves and little shoulder, and patchy cell coverage can slow help from arriving.

10. U.S. 101: Newport to Lincoln City

The coast highway between Newport and Lincoln City winds past Depoe Bay with ocean views that pull eyes off the road. Summer brings RVs and visitors who don’t know the curves, passing is limited, and impatient drivers take chances when a line builds up.

Much of the year adds rain and fog. Watch for people walking the shoulder and cars pulling in and out of viewpoints.

More High-Crash Locations Across Oregon

Portland’s intersection rankings, Metro’s corridor profiles, Eugene’s fatal crash report and local news analyses in Salem and Bend put numbers on specific spots.

Salem won a $2.8 million federal grant for a Safe Streets for All safety action plan that kicked off in spring 2026 and is due in spring 2027. In Bend, the crash memo behind the table above feeds the city’s new transportation safety action plan, and ODOT already built a roundabout in 2023 at U.S. 20 and O.B. Riley Road near Tumalo, the second-ranked intersection in that analysis.

How to Stay Safe on Oregon’s Most Dangerous Roads

You can’t avoid these roads, but you can use them knowing where the trouble is.

For Drivers:

1. Watch your speed: Speeding is part of about a quarter of Oregon’s fatal and serious-injury crashes. Wide streets like Division and 122nd feel faster than their limits.
2. Take intersections slowly: Portland’s worst intersections cluster on 82nd, 122nd, Glisan and Powell. Look twice before you turn.
3. Leave room on I-5: Backups at the Boone Bridge and the Rose Quarter appear fast.
4. Respect the mountain and the Gorge: Check conditions before heading up U.S. 26 or out I-84, carry chains in winter, and slow down for wind and ice.
5. Slow down in work zones: Work zone deaths in Oregon climbed to 14 in 2024. Merge early and watch for flaggers.

For Pedestrians:

1. Use signals and marked crossings: On Powell, Stark and 82nd, crossing mid-block gives drivers no warning.
2. Be seen after dark: In Portland, 72% of 2025 traffic deaths happened between dusk and dawn. Wear something bright or carry a light.
3. Make eye contact: Don’t assume a turning driver sees you. Wait until the car has stopped.

For Cyclists:

1. Pick protected routes: Use separated lanes like the new ones on outer Stark, and neighborhood greenways instead of busy arterials when you can.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights on dark, wet evenings from fall through spring.
3. Watch turning traffic: Never assume a right-turning driver will yield.

General Tips:

1. Check TripCheck before a trip: ODOT’s TripCheck shows road cameras, crashes, closures and pass conditions on I-5, I-84, U.S. 26 and OR 22.
2. Plan for the coast: On U.S. 101, use turnouts to let faster traffic by instead of letting a line build up behind you.
3. Keep an emergency kit: Cell service drops out on parts of OR 22 and U.S. 26. Pack water, a blanket and a flashlight.

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

A crash on I-5, Powell or the Mount Hood Highway can leave you hurt and rattled. What you do in the first hours and days matters, for your health and your finances.

1. Call 911. Even if no one looks badly hurt, get police to the scene so there’s an official crash report. If anyone is seriously injured, ask for an ambulance.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away, so see a doctor soon.
3. Document the scene if you can. If it’s safe, photograph the vehicles, damage, license plates, road conditions and any signs. Swap 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 the crash report and understand your options.
5. Keep everything. Save medical records, bills, repair estimates, proof of missed work and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where the crash happened. Oregon State Police keep records for crashes troopers handle, often on interstates and state highways, city police have reports for crashes inside city limits, and county sheriff’s offices cover unincorporated areas. Our Oregon crash report guide walks through getting a copy from each.

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

Oregon Crash Hot Spot Questions

More Oregon Crash Guides

County accident news: Multnomah County · Washington County · Clackamas County · Marion County · Lane County · Deschutes County · Jackson County · Coos County

Nearby states: Washington crash hot spots · California crash hot spots · Idaho crash hot spots

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