5 Illinois Roads Make List Of “America’s 100 Deadliest Highways”

We've all been stressed out from time to time after being out driving on one of Illinois' highways (sometimes requiring some decompression time), and it turns out that we have every right to be stressed.

Between traffic backups, construction zones, aggressive lane changes, gigantic potholes, and weather that can shift in an instant, driving here can feel like a full-contact sport. According to a new national study, that stress is definitely not be just in your head.

That study, which ranked the 100 deadliest highways in America based on fatal crash data, identified five Illinois interstates making the list. For anyone who drives the Chicago metro or travels across the state, the results will look very familiar, (maybe even a little too familiar). These aren’t obscure rural routes, they’re roads many Illinoisans use every single day.

One Of The Illinois Highways To Make The List Is Among The Most-Traveled And Hazardous

Here are the Illinois highways that make the list:

Interstate 94 through Chicago and the North Shore is a nonstop mix of commuter traffic freight movement and sudden slowdowns, plus a lot of accidents.

Interstate 57 has long been flagged for serious crashes stretching from Chicago to southern Illinois and carrying a steady flow of high-speed and commercial traffic.

Interstate 290 acts as a critical Chicago expressway connector where heavy congestion merges and frequent braking create a constant risk of collisions.

Interstate 294, the Tri-State Tollway, is notorious for fast-moving traffic mixed with bottlenecks near interchanges and toll plazas.

Interstate 90, including the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, handles massive volumes of commuters and airport traffic with conditions that can shift from smooth to congested in minutes.

Just How Deadly Are Some Of Illinois' Roads And Highways?

Based on the most recent statewide crash and fatality data compiled from Illinois traffic safety reports and federal reporting systems, Illinois typically sees about 1,000 to 1,300 traffic fatalities per year, depending on the year and conditions like weather, congestion, and driving behavior.

For example, recent Illinois Highway Safety Program estimates and crash summaries show totals hovering right around the 1,100-fatality range annually in the early-to-mid 2020s.

Another way researchers often look at it is through “fatal crashes” versus total fatalities. Illinois averages roughly 1,000 fatal crashes per year, which translates to that same ballpark of just over a thousand lives lost on the roads annually.

To break that down:

• That’s roughly 3 to 4 traffic deaths every single day in Illinois
• And about one fatal crash every 8-9 hours statewide