Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of NHTSA data, the most dangerous city to drive in in Missouri is Bridgeton, MO with 42.8 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year (Road Danger Score 100/100), vs a US average of 12.3.
Highest Traffic-Fatality Rates in Missouri
Cities ranked by Road Danger Score — 5-year traffic deaths per 100,000 residents from NHTSA FARS.
| # | City | Danger Score | Deaths per 100K/yr | Deaths (5-Yr) | Alcohol % | Speeding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeton | 100/100 | 42.8 | 24 | 27% | 55% |
| 2 | Ferguson | 97/100 | 26.9 | 24 | 27% | 41% |
| 3 | St. Louis City | 96/100 | 23.9 | 331 | 28% | 38% |
| 4 | Branson | 94/100 | 20.0 | 13 | 46% | 23% |
| 5 | Joplin | 93/100 | 19.4 | 52 | 18% | 34% |
| 6 | West Plains | 92/100 | 18.8 | 12 | 13% | 50% |
| 7 | Kansas City | 91/100 | 18.0 | 460 | 36% | 51% |
| 8 | Lake St. Louis | 91/100 | 17.6 | 17 | 39% | 23% |
| 9 | Springfield | 89/100 | 16.7 | 142 | 24% | 31% |
| 10 | Independence | 88/100 | 16.1 | 97 | 35% | 46% |
| 11 | Fulton | 88/100 | 16.1 | 10 | 0% | 38% |
| 12 | Sikeston | 85/100 | 15.0 | 12 | 46% | 9% |
| 13 | St. Joseph | 83/100 | 14.0 | 49 | 29% | 43% |
| 14 | Mexico | 82/100 | 13.9 | 8 | 60% | 20% |
| 15 | Kennett | 82/100 | 13.9 | 7 | 0% | 0% |
| 16 | Overland | 80/100 | 13.0 | 10 | 20% | 30% |
| 17 | Poplar Bluff | 77/100 | 12.4 | 10 | 10% | 20% |
| 18 | Hazelwood | 76/100 | 12.2 | 15 | 33% | 47% |
| 19 | Union | 76/100 | 12.1 | 8 | 0% | 14% |
| 20 | Farmington | 74/100 | 11.8 | 11 | 10% | 10% |
| 21 | Neosho | 74/100 | 11.8 | 8 | 25% | 13% |
| 22 | Cape Girardeau | 74/100 | 11.8 | 24 | 4% | 26% |
| 23 | Maryland Heights | 73/100 | 11.7 | 16 | 27% | 13% |
| 24 | Florissant | 72/100 | 11.4 | 29 | 37% | 41% |
| 25 | Excelsior Springs | 71/100 | 11.3 | 6 | 17% | 50% |
| 26 | Town And Country | 67/100 | 10.4 | 6 | 33% | 50% |
| 27 | Grandview | 67/100 | 10.3 | 13 | 42% | 33% |
| 28 | Lebanon | 66/100 | 10.3 | 8 | 13% | 50% |
| 29 | Monett | 64/100 | 9.9 | 5 | 50% | 50% |
| 30 | Republic | 63/100 | 9.7 | 10 | 22% | 22% |
| 31 | Arnold | 62/100 | 9.6 | 10 | 13% | 25% |
| 32 | Hannibal | 62/100 | 9.5 | 8 | 25% | 63% |
| 33 | Troy | 59/100 | 9.2 | 7 | 14% | 57% |
| 34 | Belton | 54/100 | 8.4 | 11 | 18% | 46% |
| 35 | Blue Springs | 52/100 | 8.2 | 25 | 40% | 40% |
| 36 | Columbia | 52/100 | 8.1 | 53 | 16% | 39% |
| 37 | Warrensburg | 52/100 | 8.1 | 8 | 0% | 33% |
| 38 | Eureka | 46/100 | 7.4 | 5 | 0% | 0% |
| 39 | Sedalia | 45/100 | 7.2 | 8 | 25% | 13% |
| 40 | St. Peters | 44/100 | 7.0 | 21 | 25% | 35% |
| 41 | Creve Coeur | 41/100 | 6.5 | 6 | 17% | 33% |
| 42 | Kirkwood | 38/100 | 6.2 | 9 | 43% | 43% |
| 43 | Ozark | 36/100 | 6.0 | 7 | 29% | 57% |
| 44 | Rolla | 35/100 | 5.8 | 6 | 50% | 33% |
| 45 | Jefferson City | 33/100 | 5.6 | 12 | 50% | 8% |
| 46 | Raytown | 32/100 | 5.6 | 8 | 29% | 57% |
| 47 | St. Charles | 32/100 | 5.5 | 20 | 35% | 15% |
| 48 | Liberty | 27/100 | 5.2 | 8 | 38% | 50% |
| 49 | Wentzville | 26/100 | 5.0 | 12 | 20% | 30% |
| 50 | Chesterfield | 22/100 | 4.5 | 11 | 30% | 50% |
| 51 | Lee's Summit | 20/100 | 4.2 | 22 | 43% | 38% |
| 52 | Nixa | 8/100 | 2.3 | 3 | 0% | 33% |
| 53 | Ballwin | 7/100 | 2.0 | 3 | 0% | 33% |
| 54 | Raymore | 3/100 | 0.8 | 1 | 100% | 100% |
| 55 | O'fallon | 1/100 | 0.2 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city to drive in in Missouri?
Bridgeton, MO has the highest traffic-fatality rate in Missouri: 42.8 deaths per 100,000 residents per year (most recent five-year period, NHTSA FARS), a Road Danger Score of 100/100.
What causes traffic deaths in these cities?
Across these 55 cities, an average of 26% of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver and 35% involved speeding (NHTSA FARS, most recent five-year period). These shares run higher than the safest-city list, alongside structural factors like road type and speed limits.
How is the Road Danger Score calculated?
The Road Danger Score is a percentile ranking from 1 to 100 based on each city's five-year traffic-fatality rate (deaths per 100,000 residents per year) from NHTSA FARS data: 100 = most dangerous to drive in, 1 = safest. See the methodology page for the full formula.