Missouri’s 2 Most Dangerous Roads are NOT Interstates

When it comes to dangerous places to drive in Missouri, most think of interstates. The truth is that mile for mile the two most dangerous roadways in Missouri are not interstates at all.

I wish I had a nickel for every mile I've driven on the interstates that cross Missouri. I have not really had many moments of fear on either I-70 or I-35. There is no doubt that both have sadly claimed more than their fair share of lives, but they're not statically the most dangerous roadways.

I've decided to focus on two different Missouri highways because there are two ways to determine what road claims the most lives. There are the total number of fatalities and then there are the most deaths per mile. Asking those questions in Missouri will get you two different answers.

What Missouri highway claims the most lives each year?

As the Kansas City Star mentioned in a recent article, the largest total number of deaths on Missouri roadways come from State Route 5. At 650 miles, it is the longest highway in Missouri.

What Missouri highway has the highest fatality rate per mile?

There's no question that Highway 63 is the most dangerous road mile-for-mile in Missouri. While it remains a place where many highway tragedies happen, it used to be much worse. I drove Highway 63 before many parts of it were made four-lane. I can't even count the number of times I had close calls on that highway back then. My uncle used to live in Mexico, Missouri and I also used to work in Columbia which meant that my family spent more time on Highway 63 than we wanted to. While State Route 5 might have the highest number of fatalities, to me it's second to Highway 63 for being the one road in Missouri that you really want to avoid if possible.