The Most Dangerous Intersections in Tampa and Hillsborough County

Tampa's most dangerous intersections cluster in the fast-growing south county, especially along Big Bend Road and US 301. SR 674 & US 301 is the county's worst — and unlike Manatee or Pasco, Hillsborough has only a handful of truly chronic junctions.

6 min read · Last reviewed August 10, 2026 · Crash data by city

Tampa is a big county with surprisingly few chronically dangerous intersections. When we grouped every fatal and serious-injury crash by junction, SR 674 & US 301 in the south county came out as Hillsborough's most dangerous intersection — and the pattern around it is unmistakable. Only 5 intersections in the entire county cross the 10-recurring-crash threshold (out of 41 with five or more), and almost all of them sit in the fast-growing south end along Big Bend Road and US 301. Across the county, intersection crashes killed about 359 people and seriously injured roughly 3,060 over the window studied. Explore any junction on our interactive Florida Crash Report map.

Tampa's most dangerous intersections

Ranked by recurring serious crashes over 2014–2018, these are the worst intersections in Hillsborough County:

Worst Hillsborough County intersections by recurring severe crashes, 2014–2018. Source: FDOT.

The story is south county

The cluster is impossible to miss: four of the county's five chronic intersections sit in booming south Hillsborough, where Big Bend Road and US 301 (SR 674) carry fast-growing suburban traffic across each other and through Riverview and Wimauma. Big Bend Road alone accounts for three of the top four — its junctions with Ketchum Valley Drive, Lincoln Road, and US 301 all show up. These are widening surface arterials absorbing rapid residential growth, with new driveways, heavy turning movements, and long signal cycles — the exact ingredients that make an intersection produce serious crashes again and again. What is striking is how few of them there are. Unlike Manatee (24 of the state's 98 worst) or Pasco (33), Hillsborough holds only 5 chronic junctions; its danger leans toward interstates and arterials rather than repeat-offender intersections.

When crashes happen in Hillsborough County

Fatal crashes in the county peak around 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and about 57.6% happen after dark. The deadliest single corridor, US 301, is also the road that carries the worst intersection in the county — the same highway running through the same south-county neighborhoods. Hillsborough's per-capita intersection death rate, about 14.3 per 100,000 (rank 50 of 67 counties), sits near the Florida average. For the road-by-road picture, see the most dangerous roads in Tampa.

What this means if you were hurt

An intersection's crash record does not decide fault by itself — Florida looks at what each driver did in the specific crash, such as who had the light and who was turning. But intersection crashes often turn on exactly the evidence you can capture at the scene: signal timing, vehicle positions, and witnesses. If you were injured, get medical care within 14 days to preserve your PIP benefits, document the scene, and understand your coverage before talking to an insurer. See what to do after a crash and what your claim may be worth. For the statewide picture, see the most dangerous intersections in Florida.

This guide is educational and not legal advice. Rankings describe aggregate public-record crash patterns over a multi-year window, not the cause of any individual crash.

This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. Every crash is different — for advice about your situation, talk to a licensed Florida attorney. Reviewed August 10, 2026.