These are the highways in Illinois with the most fatalities.

Americans travel billions of cumulative interstate miles every year—statistically, accidents are almost a certainty. Still, many traffic crashes and subsequent fatalities are avoidable. 

In 2020, nearly 39,000 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes on U.S. roadways—an increase of roughly 7% from 2019, according to the most recent data released in 2022 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In nearly half of all fatal crashes, drivers were either speeding, impaired by alcohol, not wearing a seat belt, or some combination of those three, according to NHTSA.

Highway driving, in particular, can lead to more serious or fatal accidents than on other roadways because vehicles are traveling at much greater speeds.

President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has earmarked tens of billions of dollars for programs that will improve road safety in the U.S., including programs to improve physical infrastructure, vehicle safety, and data collection.

Stacker ranked data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to identify the highways in Illinois that had the most fatalities from auto crashes in 2020. Ties were broken by the total quantity of crashes where possible.

#23. Western Ave
- Total fatalities: 4
- Number of crashes: 4

#23. US-30 Lincoln Hwy
- Total fatalities: 4
- Number of crashes: 4

#23. US-24
- Total fatalities: 4
- Number of crashes: 4

#22. SR-83 147Th St
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 4

#16. US-34 Ogden Ave
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#16. US-150
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#16. SR-43 Harlem Ave
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#16. Pulaski Rd
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#16. Cottage Grove Ave
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#16. Ashland Ave
- Total fatalities: 5
- Number of crashes: 5

#15. US-50
- Total fatalities: 6
- Number of crashes: 5

#11. SR-50 Cicero Ave
- Total fatalities: 6
- Number of crashes: 6

#11. SR-19 Irving Park Rd
- Total fatalities: 6
- Number of crashes: 6

#11. I-64
- Total fatalities: 6
- Number of crashes: 6

#11. I-294
- Total fatalities: 6
- Number of crashes: 6

#10. SR-40
- Total fatalities: 7
- Number of crashes: 5

#8. US-45
- Total fatalities: 7
- Number of crashes: 6

#8. I-74
- Total fatalities: 7
- Number of crashes: 6

#6. US-34
- Total fatalities: 7
- Number of crashes: 7

#6. I-90
- Total fatalities: 7
- Number of crashes: 7

#5. I-290
- Total fatalities: 12
- Number of crashes: 10

#4. I-94
- Total fatalities: 19
- Number of crashes: 19

#3. I-55
- Total fatalities: 24
- Number of crashes: 22

#2. I-80
- Total fatalities: 26
- Number of crashes: 20

#1. I-57
- Total fatalities: 30
- Number of crashes: 23