Texas is home to some of the deadliest highways in America, according to a study by Teletrac Navman, a fleet tracking company. While Florida claimed three of the five most dangerous highways, I-45 ranked second with 0.91 deaths per mile in a recent three-year period. The highway runs from Dallas to Galveston, but Houston was the deadliest city on I-45. 

Interstate 45 isn’t the only dangerous highway in Texas; sometimes, it’s just a small stretch of highway with a disproportionate number of fatal accidents

Here are the deadliest stretches of highway in six of the Lone Star State’s major highways. 

Interstate 10

In Texas, I-10 runs from Anthony and El Paso through San Antonio, Houston, Beaumont, and Orange before continuing into Louisiana. This major east-west interstate connects El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio and frequently ranks among the deadliest highways in the U.S. 

The most dangerous stretches of Interstate 10 in Texas include: 

  • Willow Street – Downtown Beaumont to US 69/US 96/US 287 in Beaumont (4.0 miles) – 17 fatal crashes and 17 fatalities between 2018 and 2020. There were 4.3 fatalities per mile over two years. 
  • Executive Center Blvd to Piedras St in El Paso (4.7 miles) – 11 fatal crashes and 11 fatalities between 2018 and 2020. There were 4.7 fatalities per mile over two years. 

According to a 2018 study, about 29% of all fatal crashes on highways and state routes involved a drunk driver. On I-10 in Texas, drunk drivers were involved in 44% of fatal accidents. That’s one of the highest rates of fatal drunk driving crashes in the country and significantly higher than drunk driving rates on I-10 in Arizona (33%), Alabama (29%), Florida (27%), and New Mexico (15%). 

Interstate 35

I-35 is one of the major north-south highways in Texas, running from Laredo to Gainesville where it continues into Oklahoma. It passes through San Antonio, Austin, and Waco, with two branches that run through Hillsboro, Dallas, and Fort Worth. The most dangerous stretches of I-35 are in Austin, but there are several stretches in San Antonio and Dallas with high fatality rates. 

The deadliest stretches of Interstate 35 in Texas include: 

  • US 290 E to Tech Ridge Blvd, Yager Ln in Austin (4.9 miles) – 16 fatal accidents between 2018 and 2020 with 18 fatalities. There were 3.7 fatalities per mile over two years. 
  • Manor Road to Stassney Lane in Austin (4.8 miles) – 15 fatal crashes between 2018 and 2020 with 15 fatalities. There were 3.2 fatalities per mile. 
  • E 39th St to E Powell Ln in Austin (3.8 miles) – 22 fatal crashes and 24 fatalities between 2017 and 2021. 
  • Round Table Dr to S Marsalis Ave in Dallas (9 miles) – 34 fatal accidents and 37 fatalities between 2017 and 2021. 
  • E Belknap St to Oak Grove Rd in Fort Worth (6.3 miles) – 20 fatal crashes and 20 deaths between 2017 and 2021. 

Overall, 39.5% of fatal car accidents along I-35 in Texas involve a drunk driver, well above the average rate of 28.7% on highways and state routes.

Interstate 45

I-45 connects Dallas and Houston before continuing to Galveston. The stretch of I-45 running through Houston and Harris County had 45 fatal accidents in just two years (2018 to 2020). Harris County had more deadly traffic accidents than anywhere else in Texas.

Here are the most deadly stretches of I-45.  

  • Airtex Drive to West Road in Houston (4.6 miles) – 11 fatal crashes between 2018 and 2020 with two fatalities. There were 2.6 fatalities per mile over two years. 
  • W Little York Road to Chartres Street in Houston (9.9 miles) – 29 fatal crashes and 32 deaths between 2017 and 2021. 
  • Tidwell Road to I-610 South Loop in Houston (11 miles) – 45 fatal crashes and 50 deaths between 2013 and 2015. There were 4.5 fatalities per mile over two years. 

In 2020, Popular Mechanics named I-45 as America’s most dangerous highway, with 56.5 fatalities for every 100 miles.

Interstate 20

I-20 runs from I-10 east in Kent (West Texas) through Dallas-Fort Worth to Waskom near the Louisiana border. Based on crash data from 2015 to 2019, I-20 in Dallas County was ranked the sixth most dangerous highway in the United States. In that five-year timespan, there were 490 fatal crashes and 594 fatalities along this stretch of highway. 

The most dangerous stretch of Interstate 20 in Texas is the 4.8-mile stretch from Bowman Springs Rd in Arlington to Campus Dr in Fort Worth. Between 2018 and 2020, there were 13 fatal accidents with 14 fatalities. There were 2.9 fatalities per mile. 

All told, 44.5% of fatal crashes on I-20 in Texas involve a drunk driver.

Interstate 30

I-30 stretches almost 367 miles from I-20 outside Fort Worth to Dallas, Texarkana, and I-40 in Arkansas. In the Dallas-Forth Worth area, it’s known as the Tom Landry Freeway. 

The two deadliest stretches of I-30 are both in Dallas: 

  • Jim Miller Rd in Dallas to I-635 in Mesquite (4.9 miles) – 12 fatal accidents and 12 deaths between 2018 and 2020. There were 2.4 fatalities per mile. 
  • N Jim Miller Rd to Northwest Dr in Dallas (5.9 miles) – 21 fatal crashes and 21 deaths between 2017 and 2021. 

Based on 2015 to 2019 crash data, I-30 in Dallas County, Texas, was the 52nd deadliest stretch of highway in the U.S. and the 8th deadliest in the state.

Interstate 820

I-820 is an auxiliary route of I-20 running through Fort Worth and its suburbs. It’s better known as Loop 820 locally with sections named for their direction from downtown Fort Worth such as East Loop 820. 

The four-mile stretch of I-820 from SH 180 (Lancaster Avenue) to Sun Valley Drive in Fort Worth is the deadliest stretch of highway. Between 2018 and 2020, there were 10 fatal crashes and 11 deaths. This stretch had 2.8 fatalities per mile over two years.

Interstate 69C 

I-69C is a short stretch of north-south highway in South Texas that is concurrent with US 281. A short 1.5-mile section of I-69C from FM 2812 to FM 1925 (Monte Cristo Rd) in Edinburg had 7 fatal crashes and 12 deaths from 2013 to 2015.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Texas

An accident can happen anywhere, but it’s a good idea to be extra cautious when driving on these stretches of highway with a disproportionate number of fatal crashes. If you have been involved in a highway accident, an experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation.

If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth or Dallas and need legal help, contact our car accident lawyers at Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, and throughout Texas.

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office
1310 W El Paso St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 294-1900

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office (Secondary)
6618 Fossil Bluff Dr # 108, Fort Worth, TX 76137
(817) 631-4113

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Dallas Office
408 W Eighth St Suite 202, Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 327-8000

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Dallas Office (Secondary)
6301 Gaston Ave suite 610, Dallas, TX 75214
(469) 457-4711