Thornton, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Thornton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Thornton and Adams County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Adams 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 3.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Adams County compares with Colorado
Adams County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Adams County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Adams County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.0 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 33% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 12% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.2% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 51% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.1% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 38% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.6% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Adams County sits below Colorado on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Colorado on crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Adams County: April garbage-truck crashes peak in April (17% of the year's total).
Overview
Adams County has recorded 2,673 truck crashes since 2015, with 777 people injured and 89 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 253 truck crashes were reported in Thornton since 2015; patterns below come from Adams County as a whole.
35% of truck crash reports in Adams County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (9.1% of the year) and are lowest in May (7.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.4%).
Road surface: 7.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Colorado: 14.8%).
Where crashes happen
I-70 leads within 15 miles of Thornton with 15 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-25 (13), US-85 (9) and I-76 (8).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 84 crashes, 3.1% of the total, against 2.8% across Colorado.
Their busiest month is April, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.5, vs 3.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Thornton fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-70 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Adams County.
- 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 Adams County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-70 | 15 |
| I-25 | 13 |
| US-85 | 9 |
| I-76 | 8 |
| SR-52 | 5 |
| SR-470 | 4 |
| US-287 | 4 |
| SR-35 | 3 |
| SR-53 | 3 |
| SR-7 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Adams County) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 53 |
| I270 At Hwy 85 | 17 |
| I 25 At Mp 217 | 11 |
| I 76 At Mp 6 | 11 |
| I 25 At Mp 221 | 10 |
| I 70 At N Chambers Rd | 10 |
| I76 At Mp 10 | 9 |
| I25 At Mp 218 | 9 |
Thornton at a glance
| Population | 146,689 |
| Land area | 36.5 sq mi |
| Density | 4,016 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 80241) | $110,218 |
| Median home value (ZIP 80241) | $542,227 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Adams 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 | 129 | — | 4.3 |
| 2000s | 192 | +50% | 3.4 |
| 2010s | 207 | +7% | 5.5 |
| 2020s | 223 | +8% | 6.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 129 a year in the 1990s and 223 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 8.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 6.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Thornton
How many truck crashes happen in Thornton?
Adams County has had 2,673 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 777 people and killing 89.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Thornton?
Since 2015, I-70 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Thornton: 15.
When do most truck crashes happen in Thornton?
Truck crashes in Adams County peak in February, with 9.1% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Thornton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 84 reported crashes in Adams County since 2015 (3.1% of truck crashes).
How does Thornton compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
Adams County records 42.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 32.6 across Colorado.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Thornton?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.