El Capitan, AZ truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in El Capitan: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in El Capitan and Gila County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gila County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 420 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Gila County compares with Arizona
Gila County against Arizona and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gila County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gila County | Arizona | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 64.7 | 35.9 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.5 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.19 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.8% | 3.2% | 6.2% | 2.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.4% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.8% | 5.3% | 13.8% | 1.7× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.1% | 42.1% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.2% | 30.0% | 24.8% | same |
It runs above Arizona on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Gila County: 7.8% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 3.2% in Arizona.
Overview
Since 2015, 420 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Gila County. They injured 84 people and killed 25.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 10 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in El Capitan since 2015, this page uses Gila County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 7.1%.
November through March accounts for 42.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.1% in Arizona.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 7.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Arizona: 3.2%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of El Capitan since 2015: US-70 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 1.6% in Arizona.
Route planning tips for El Capitan fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 7.8% of truck crashes here, more than Arizona; schedule winter checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Gila County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-70 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gila County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-260@M281 | 7 |
| Sr-260@M278 | 7 |
| Sr-87 Noncard@M247 | 6 |
| Sr-260@M277 | 6 |
| Us-60@M292 | 5 |
| Sr-87@M224 | 5 |
| Sr-87 Noncard@M246 | 5 |
| Sr-260@M256 | 5 |
El Capitan at a glance
| Land area | 6.1 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gila County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 24 | +97% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 15 | -40% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 40 | +170% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 40. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about El Capitan
How many truck crashes happen in El Capitan?
420 truck crashes have been reported in Gila County since 2015, with 25 deaths and 84 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in El Capitan?
Truck crashes in Gila County peak in October, with 10.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in El Capitan?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Gila County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How does El Capitan compare with Arizona for truck crashes?
Gila County records 64.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 35.9 across Arizona.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in El Capitan?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.