Beach Boulevard is the deadliest street in Huntington Beach. From 2019 through 2024, 26 people were killed in crashes on Beach Boulevard inside the city, more than on any other road. Pacific Coast Highway was second with 17 deaths. Together, the two state highways account for 41 of the city’s 89 fatal crashes in those six years.
We rebuilt this page with the latest federal fatal-crash records (NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System) and California Office of Traffic Safety rankings. The numbers below show which streets are the most dangerous, who is being killed, and when.
Key Findings
- 93 people were killed in 89 traffic crashes in Huntington Beach from 2019 through 2024.
- Beach Boulevard (26 deaths) and PCH (17 deaths) are the deadliest roads. Warner Avenue is third with 9.
- Pedestrians are the largest group killed: 35 of 93 deaths (38%). On Beach Boulevard alone, 14 of the 26 people killed were on foot.
- Most fatal crashes happen at night: 62 of 89 happened between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and 44 between 6 p.m. and midnight.
- At least 23 of the 89 fatal crashes (26%) involved a driver who had been drinking.
- Huntington Beach ranked 1st of 62 similar-size California cities for bicyclists killed or injured in 2023 (198 victims).
The 10 Deadliest Streets in Huntington Beach
| Rank | Street | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beach Boulevard | 26 | 25 |
| 2 | Pacific Coast Highway | 17 | 16 |
| 3 | Warner Avenue | 9 | 9 |
| 4 | Yorktown Avenue | 7 | 6 |
| 5 | Newland Street | 4 | 3 |
| 6 (tie) | Atlanta Avenue | 4 | 4 |
| 6 (tie) | Brookhurst Street | 4 | 4 |
| 6 (tie) | Goldenwest Street | 4 | 4 |
| 6 (tie) | Hamilton Avenue | 4 | 4 |
| 6 (tie) | Springdale Street | 4 | 4 |
Edinger Avenue, Gothard Street, Graham Street and Magnolia Street each had 3 deaths. A crash at an intersection counts toward both streets, so the street totals add up to more than 93.
Beach Boulevard: 26 deaths
Beach Boulevard (State Route 39) carries heavy traffic past shopping centers, apartments and bus stops, and it is where pedestrians are most at risk. Of the 26 people killed on Beach Boulevard, 14 were pedestrians, 4 were bicyclists and 4 were motorcyclists. Nineteen of its 25 fatal crashes happened after dark. The city’s 2024 Local Roadway Safety Plan notes that police identified Beach Boulevard and PCH as the top locations for speeding violations.
Pacific Coast Highway: 17 deaths
PCH (State Route 1) mixes beach traffic, bicyclists, pedestrians crossing to the sand and drivers moving at highway speed. Of the 17 people killed, 6 were drivers, 5 were pedestrians, 3 were motorcyclists and 3 were bicyclists. Six of PCH’s 16 fatal crashes involved a driver who had been drinking, the highest share of any street on this list. The worst year was 2021, with 7 deaths on PCH alone.
Warner Avenue: 9 deaths
Warner Avenue had 9 fatal crashes, including 4 pedestrian deaths. Four of the 9 involved a driver who had been drinking, and 3 of the deaths came in 2024.
Yorktown Avenue: 7 deaths
Yorktown Avenue had 7 deaths in 6 crashes, 4 of them in 2022. Three of the people killed were pedestrians.
Intersections with repeat fatal crashes
Two intersections had more than one fatal crash in six years:
- Pacific Coast Highway and Newland Street: fatal crashes in July 2021 and December 2024.
- Hamilton Avenue and Magnolia Street: fatal crashes in August 2021 and October 2023.
Traffic Deaths in Huntington Beach by Year
Deaths ranged from 12 to 19 a year. With numbers this small, a change of a few deaths from one year to the next doesn’t show a real trend. The 2024 figure is preliminary and may change when NHTSA releases its final file.
Who Is Being Killed
People outside a car make up most of the deaths: 35 pedestrians, 16 motorcyclists and 12 bicyclists, or 63 of the 93 people killed. The city’s own safety plan found the same pattern in earlier years. From 2016 to 2020, bicycle and pedestrian crashes were about 12.7% of all collisions in Huntington Beach but about 46.9% of the crashes that killed or seriously injured someone.
When Fatal Crashes Happen
- Evening is the most dangerous time. Almost half of fatal crashes (44 of 89) happened between 6 p.m. and midnight.
- Darkness matters. 56 of 89 fatal crashes (63%) happened in the dark, most of them on streets with lighting.
- Sunday is the deadliest day, with 20 fatal crashes and 21 deaths, followed by Thursday with 17 crashes.
Alcohol
At least 23 of the 89 fatal crashes (26%) involved a driver who police reported had been drinking or who tested at 0.08% or higher. The true number may be higher, because not every driver is tested. In California Office of Traffic Safety rankings, Huntington Beach placed 7th of 62 similar-size cities for alcohol-involved crash victims in 2023, with 172 people killed or injured.
Bicyclists Killed or Injured
Bicycle crashes have nearly doubled in five years, from 101 victims in 2019 to 198 in 2023. Every year from 2019 to 2023, Huntington Beach ranked 1st or 2nd among California cities of 100,001 to 250,000 people for bicyclists killed or injured.
Hurt in a Crash on One of These Roads?
- Get the crash report number. The Huntington Beach Police Department handles crashes within the city limits. Ask the officer for the report number before you leave the scene.
- Photograph the scene, including signals, crosswalks, lighting and any road defects, before they change.
- Watch the government-claim deadline. If a dangerous road condition contributed to the crash, a claim against the government agency responsible for the road usually has to be filed within six months. Most other injury claims have two years. Deadlines depend on the facts; see our guide to California personal injury deadlines.
For what to expect after a specific type of crash, see our pages on Orange County car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents and motorcycle accidents, and our Huntington Beach car accident page. For countywide numbers, see our Orange County car accident statistics.
Methodology and Sources
- Fatal crashes by street, year, road user, time and alcohol: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash and person files for 2019 to 2024, filtered to the City of Huntington Beach (California, Orange County, city code 1660). FARS covers crashes on public roads in which someone died within 30 days. Data for 2019 to 2023 is final; 2024 is NHTSA’s preliminary Annual Report File and may change.
- Street names were standardized (for example, “SR-1” and “PCH” are both counted as Pacific Coast Highway). A crash at an intersection counts toward each street.
- Alcohol counts crashes with a driver police reported as drinking or with a tested blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. It is a minimum, not NHTSA’s estimated alcohol-impaired figure.
- Bicycle and alcohol rankings: California Office of Traffic Safety crash rankings, 2019 to 2023, Group B cities (100,001 to 250,000 people), where 1 is the worst. OTS counts people killed and injured together.
- Safety plan figures: City of Huntington Beach Local Roadway Safety Plan (July 2024), based on 2016 to 2020 crash data.
Sources: NHTSA FARS, California OTS crash rankings, Huntington Beach Local Roadway Safety Plan. Data retrieved in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous street in Huntington Beach?
Beach Boulevard. From 2019 through 2024, 26 people were killed in crashes on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, more than on any other street. Pacific Coast Highway was second with 17 deaths.
How many people die in traffic crashes in Huntington Beach each year?
Between 12 and 19 people a year from 2019 through 2024, according to NHTSA fatal-crash data. In total, 93 people were killed in 89 crashes over those six years.
Who is most likely to be killed in a Huntington Beach crash?
Pedestrians. They were 35 of the 93 people killed from 2019 through 2024 (38%). Motorcyclists and bicyclists accounted for another 28 deaths.
What time of day are fatal crashes most common in Huntington Beach?
The evening. 44 of 89 fatal crashes from 2019 through 2024 happened between 6 p.m. and midnight, and 62 happened between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Talk to Us About Your Crash
The Law Offices of Brent W. Caldwell is on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, and we represent people hurt in crashes across Orange County. If you or someone in your family was injured on one of these roads, call us for a free consultation. We handle injury cases on a no win, no fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
