Boulder, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Boulder: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Boulder and Boulder County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Boulder County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Boulder County compares with Colorado
Boulder County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Boulder County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Boulder County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 14.6 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 55% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 12% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 10.2% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 31% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.0% | 25.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.0% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 24% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 10.0% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 55% below the state |
Compared with Colorado, Boulder County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Boulder at a glance: US-287 deadliest road: 5 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Boulder since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 563 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Boulder County. They injured 212 people and killed 24.
That averages about one truck crash every 8 days in fully reported years.
Only 136 truck crashes were reported in Boulder since 2015; patterns below come from Boulder County as a whole.
36% of truck crash reports in Boulder County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (10.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.9% of truck crashes, against 43.5% across Colorado.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 11.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 10.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Colorado: 14.8%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Boulder is US-287, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-25 (4), SR-93 (4) and SR-119 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 24 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 2.8% in Colorado.
Their busiest month is August, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 4.5 deaths compared with 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Boulder fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Boulder County.
- Look at alternatives to US-287 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in August; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.0% of truck crashes here, more than Colorado; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Boulder County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-287 | 5 |
| I-25 | 4 |
| SR-93 | 4 |
| SR-119 | 3 |
| US-36 | 3 |
| Hover St | 2 |
| SR-128 | 2 |
| SR-52 | 2 |
| Aggregate Blvd | 1 |
| Boston Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Boulder County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 287 At Mp 306 | 4 |
| Hwy 66 At Mp 37 | 4 |
| Ken Pratt Blvd At Bowen St | 3 |
| Hwy 66 At Mp 38 | 3 |
| Hwy 52 At Mp 6 | 3 |
| Hwy 36 At Mp 44 | 3 |
| Hwy 36 At Mp 42 | 3 |
| Hwy 36 At Mp 40 | 3 |
Boulder at a glance
| Population | 106,803 |
| Land area | 26.9 sq mi |
| Density | 3,974 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Boulder 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 | 34 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 46 | +36% | 1.9 |
| 2010s | 50 | +8% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 44 | -13% | 1.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 34 a year in the 1990s and 44 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Boulder
How many truck crashes happen in Boulder?
563 truck crashes have been reported in Boulder County since 2015, with 24 deaths and 212 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Boulder?
US-287 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Boulder since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Boulder?
The worst month is June: 10.8% of truck crashes in Boulder County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Boulder?
Since 2015, Boulder County has reported 24 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Boulder compared with Colorado?
Per 100,000 residents, Boulder County has 14.6 truck crashes a year; Colorado has 32.6.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Boulder?
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.