Chico, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chico: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chico and Butte County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Butte County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
12 of 626 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Butte County compares with California
Butte County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Butte County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Butte County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.4 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 29% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.0% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.4% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.4% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.9% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 28% below the state |
Butte County sits below California on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. It runs above California on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Butte County at a glance: 7.8 people killed per 100 truck crashes (California: 3.6).
Overview
Since 2015, 626 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Butte County. They injured 301 people and killed 47.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 7 days.
With 78 truck crashes reported in Chico since 2015, this page uses Butte County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
September has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (6.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.4% of truck crashes, vs 40.2% for California.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 0.9% in California.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Chico is SR-99, with 8 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by Clark Rd (1), Esplanade (1) and SR-191 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 12 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Route planning tips for Chico fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-99; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 30.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Butte County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-99 | 8 |
| Clark Rd | 1 |
| Esplanade | 1 |
| SR-191 | 1 |
| SR-32 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Butte County) |
|---|---|
| Rt99/1595Ft S South Ave | 5 |
| SR-99 | 5 |
| SR-70 | 4 |
| Rt99/1592Ft S South Av | 3 |
| Aguas Frias Rd/Nelson Rd | 2 |
| Clark Rd/347Ft S Easy St | 2 |
| Cohasset Rd | 2 |
| Feather River Bl/Georgia Pacific Wy | 2 |
Chico at a glance
| Population | 102,911 |
| Land area | 34.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2,994 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Butte 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 | — | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 31 | — | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 46 | +47% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 54 | +18% | 3.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 31 a year in the 2000s and 54 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.0 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chico
How many truck crashes happen in Chico?
Butte County has had 626 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 301 people and killing 47.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Chico?
SR-99 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Chico since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Chico?
The worst month is September: 10.9% of truck crashes in Butte County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Chico?
Since 2015, Butte County has reported 12 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Chico compared with California?
Butte County records 26.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chico?
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.