Huntington Beach, CA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Huntington Beach: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Huntington Beach and Orange County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Orange County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Orange County compares with California
Orange County against California and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Orange County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Orange County | California | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 19.8 | 33.2 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.1% | 0.9% | 6.2% | 90% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 23.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 4.8% | 6.5% | 13.8% | 27% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 40.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.7% | 29.1% | 24.8% | 15% below the state |
Compared with California, Orange County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
Orange County at a glance: 0.1% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (California: 0.9%).
Overview
Orange County has recorded 7,193 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,142 people injured and 167 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
Huntington Beach had 152 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Orange County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (9.5% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.5%).
November through March accounts for 41.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.2% in California.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.3% of truck crashes.
0.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.9% across California.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-405 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (13). Next come SR-91 (11), I-5 (10) and SR-57 (8).
Garbage & waste trucks
128 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (California: 1.6%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (14% of them).
They recorded 6.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Huntington Beach fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-405, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Orange County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-405 | 13 |
| SR-91 | 11 |
| I-5 | 10 |
| SR-57 | 8 |
| Anaheim St | 6 |
| I-605 | 5 |
| I-710 | 5 |
| SR-22 | 4 |
| SR-55 | 4 |
| Anaheim Bl | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Orange County) |
|---|---|
| SR-91 | 43 |
| I-5 | 40 |
| SR-57 | 26 |
| SR-55 | 18 |
| Sr-91 W/B | 14 |
| Sr-91 E/B | 11 |
| I-405 | 9 |
| SR-241 | 8 |
Huntington Beach at a glance
| Population | 193,151 |
| Land area | 27.0 sq mi |
| Density | 7,159 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 92648) | $130,164 |
| Median home value (ZIP 92648) | $1,270,958 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Orange 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 | 5 | — | 9.9 |
| 2000s | 444 | +8772% | 11.4 |
| 2010s | 627 | +41% | 10.2 |
| 2020s | 592 | -6% | 10.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 592. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 14.8 a year in 2016–19 and 10.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Huntington Beach
How common are truck crashes in Huntington Beach?
Orange County has had 7,193 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,142 people and killing 167.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Huntington Beach?
Since 2015, I-405 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Huntington Beach: 13.
When do most truck crashes happen in Huntington Beach?
March has the most truck crashes in Orange County, 9.5% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Huntington Beach?
128 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Orange County since 2015, 1.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Huntington Beach compare with California?
Orange County records 19.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 33.2 across California.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Huntington Beach?
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.