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Key Takeaways
- Sacramento ranks No. 24 out of 100 major U.S. cities for rush hour driving fatalities, posting a rate of 2.56 per 100,000 residents, 1.3 times the national average of 2.04.
- Sacramento’s individual rate of 2.56 per 100,000 is well above California’s combined statewide figure of 1.56, making the capital city an above-average outlier within a state that otherwise ranks below its bordering states in rush hour danger.
- Nearly three-quarters of Sacramento’s rush hour deaths (74.1%) occur during the evening commute between 5:00 and 8:00 PM, and total fatalities rose 36.4% from 2020 to 2023.
In Sacramento, the drive home from work is a ritual shared by hundreds of thousands of residents every weekday. Cars merge onto I-5 and I-80, headlights flicker on as the sun sets behind the Coast Range, and the same familiar intersections fill with the same familiar traffic. For most, it is a forgettable stretch of the day. But for a growing number of families in California’s capital city, that ordinary commute has become the setting for tragedy.
The study, conducted by Blakeley Law Firm, analyzed fatal crash records from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for 2020 through 2023, which were used to identify crashes occurring during rush hours (7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM) across the 100 most populous U.S. cities. Cities are ranked by average annual rush hour fatal crashes per 100,000 residents.
Sacramento, California: Rush Hour Risk Profile
| City | Sacramento |
| State | California |
| Population (2025 Est.) | 526,954 |
| National Rank (out of 100) | 24th |
| Avg. Annual Rush Hour Fatal Crashes | 13.5 |
| Rate per 100,000 Residents | 2.56 |
| Morning Rush Avg. (7:00–10:00 AM) | 3.5 fatal crashes/year |
| Evening Rush Avg. (5:00–8:00 PM) | 10.0 fatal crashes/year |
| Evening Rush Share | 74.1% |
| 4-Year Change (2020–2023) | +36.4% (11 → 15) |
| Deadliest Year | 2023 (15 fatal crashes) |
| Times Above National Avg. (2.04) | 1.3× |
Top 25 U.S. Cities Where Rush Hour Driving Is Most Deadly
| Rank | City | State | Population | Avg. Annual Rush Hour Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 |
| 1 | Kansas City | Missouri | 150,689 | 13.5 | 8.96 |
| 2 | Columbus | Ohio | 198,457 | 17.5 | 8.82 |
| 3 | Memphis | Tennessee | 607,581 | 43.5 | 7.16 |
| 4 | Tucson | Arizona | 550,306 | 27.5 | 5.00 |
| 5 | Richmond | Virginia | 112,712 | 5.0 | 4.44 |
| 6 | St. Louis | Missouri | 269,259 | 11.0 | 4.09 |
| 7 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 557,198 | 19.8 | 3.54 |
| 8 | Glendale | Arizona | 257,125 | 9.0 | 3.50 |
| 9 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,675,144 | 58.0 | 3.46 |
| 10 | Tampa | Florida | 413,657 | 14.0 | 3.38 |
| … | |||||
| 24 | Sacramento | California | 526,954 | 13.5 | 2.56 |
Insight: Sacramento is one of three California cities in the top 25, joining Bakersfield (No. 15) and Riverside (No. 22). Sacramento’s rate of 2.56 sits in a tightly packed mid-tier cluster, just 0.38 points separates the entire range from No. 16 (Colorado Springs, 2.88) to No. 25 (Tulsa, 2.50), indicating that even modest changes in crash counts could shift these rankings significantly.
California vs. Bordering States: Rush Hour Fatality Rate Comparison
| State | Cities in Study | Combined Population | Avg. Annual Rush Hour Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 | Gap vs. California (pts) |
| California | 15 | 11,116,097 | 173.5 | 1.56 | — |
| Arizona | 7 | 3,805,746 | 115.25 | 3.03 | +1.47 |
| Oregon | 1 | 615,267 | 9.5 | 1.54 | −0.02 |
| Nevada | 4 | 1,601,824 | 18.5 | 1.16 | −0.40 |
Insight: California’s combined rush hour fatality rate of 1.56 per 100,000 falls in the middle of its bordering states, trailing Arizona (3.03) by a wide margin while narrowly edging Oregon (1.54) by just 0.02 points.
Sacramento vs. the 10 Safest U.S. Cities for Rush Hour Driving
| Rank | City | State | Population | Avg. Annual Rush Hour Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 | Gap vs. Sacramento (pts) |
| 24 | Sacramento | California | 526,954 | 13.5 | 2.56 | — |
| 91 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 296,839 | 2.0 | 0.67 | −1.89 |
| 92 | Seattle | Washington | 764,753 | 5.0 | 0.65 | −1.91 |
| 93 | Madison | Wisconsin | 283,705 | 1.8 | 0.62 | −1.94 |
| 94 | New York City | New York | 7,936,530 | 46.5 | 0.59 | −1.97 |
| 95 | Chesapeake | Virginia | 256,622 | 1.5 | 0.58 | −1.98 |
| 96 | Boston | Massachusetts | 639,411 | 3.5 | 0.55 | −2.01 |
| 97 | Jersey City | New Jersey | 291,462 | 1.5 | 0.51 | −2.05 |
| 98 | Henderson | Nevada | 349,460 | 1.8 | 0.50 | −2.06 |
| 99 | Irvine | California | 318,761 | 1.5 | 0.47 | −2.09 |
| 100 | Frisco | Texas | 239,842 | 0.0 | 0.00 | −2.56 |
Insight: The contrast within California itself is notable: Irvine, ranked 99th nationally, posts a rate of just 0.47, more than five times lower than Sacramento’s 2.56. Sacramento’s rate is roughly 4.3 times that of New York City, a metro 15 times its size.
Methodology
This analysis used fatal crash records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), accessed via cdan.dot.gov/query, covering calendar years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The study examined the 100 most populous incorporated U.S. cities based on 2025 population estimates. Fatal crashes were classified as rush hour if they occurred between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM (morning rush) or between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM (evening rush). For each city, rush hour fatal crashes were totaled per year and then averaged across the four years to produce the average annual rush hour fatal crash count. The primary ranking metric, the rate per 100,000 residents, was calculated as (average annual rush hour fatal crashes divided by city population) multiplied by 100,000, normalizing for population size to enable fair comparison across cities of varying scale. Morning and evening crashes were also tallied separately to allow AM versus PM analysis. The FARS database records only crashes involving at least one fatality within 30 days and does not include non-fatal injury crashes. Population figures are based on 2025 estimates and may not precisely match the population during each crash year.
Data Sources
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): https://cdan.dot.gov/query
- Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18Wcsn7r6NBHTYeJTQTwXjGzye8M9F7pVKZcoH37HY6I/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Study by: https://www.floridainjuryadvocate.com/
About Blakeley Law Firm
Blakeley Law Firm is a Florida-based personal injury practice representing victims of motor vehicle accidents and wrongful death. The firm focuses exclusively on personal injury litigation, advocating for individuals and families affected by negligent driving across the state of Florida.
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