Walnut Creek, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Walnut Creek: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Walnut Creek and Contra Costa County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Contra Costa County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.3 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Contra Costa County compares with California
Contra Costa County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Contra Costa County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Contra Costa County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 17.7 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 47% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 14% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.44 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 86% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.3% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.8% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.3% | 29.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with California, Contra Costa County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Contra Costa County: 1 in 38 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.6%, vs 1.6% in California.
Overview
Contra Costa County has recorded 2,377 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,171 people injured and 73 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Walnut Creek had 148 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Contra Costa County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in August (10.1% of the year) and are lowest in November (7.3%).
November through March accounts for 40.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.8%).
Road surface: 0.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-680 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (8). Next come SR-4 (2), Clayton Rd (1) and Merriewood Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 60 of the truck crashes here, or 2.5%, compared with 1.6% in California.
Their busiest month is February, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 3.3 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.1 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Walnut Creek fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-680 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at February schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 26.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above California; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Contra Costa County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-680 | 8 |
| SR-4 | 2 |
| Clayton Rd | 1 |
| Merriewood Dr | 1 |
| Pacheco Blvd | 1 |
| Port Chicago Hwy | 1 |
| Reliez Valley Rd | 1 |
| SR-24 | 1 |
| SR-242 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Contra Costa County) |
|---|---|
| SR-4 | 21 |
| I-680 | 14 |
| Sr-4 W/B | 8 |
| Sr-4 E/B | 5 |
| Richmond Pkwy/Pittsburg Av | 5 |
| Clayton Rd | 4 |
| I-80 | 4 |
| Sr160 Sb/1500Ft N Wilbur Av | 3 |
Walnut Creek at a glance
| Population | 70,817 |
| Land area | 19.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3,584 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 94596) | $135,635 |
| Median home value (ZIP 94596) | $1,287,881 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Contra Costa 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 | — | — | 4.8 |
| 2000s | 123 | — | 4.4 |
| 2010s | 176 | +43% | 3.7 |
| 2020s | 207 | +17% | 6.2 |
In the 2000s about 123 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 207. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 5.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Walnut Creek
How many truck crashes happen in Walnut Creek?
2,377 truck crashes have been reported in Contra Costa County since 2015, with 73 deaths and 1,171 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Walnut Creek?
NHTSA data shows I-680 with 8 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Walnut Creek since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Walnut Creek?
The worst month is August: 10.1% of truck crashes in Contra Costa County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Walnut Creek?
Since 2015, Contra Costa County has reported 60 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Walnut Creek compare with California for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Contra Costa County has 17.7 truck crashes a year; California has 33.2.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Walnut Creek?
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.