Arvada, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Arvada: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Arvada and Jefferson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jefferson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Jefferson County compares with Colorado
Jefferson County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jefferson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jefferson County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 14.9 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 54% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.8 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.4% | 14.8% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.6% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.6% | 13.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 43.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.0% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Jefferson County sits below Colorado on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Jefferson County: 1 in 27 crashes involve a garbage truck (36 since 2015), vs 2.8% across Colorado.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,011 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Jefferson County. They injured 322 people and killed 56.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Arvada had 93 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Jefferson County numbers.
47% of truck crash reports in Jefferson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 6.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.2% of truck crashes, vs 43.5% for Colorado.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (9.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.4% of truck crashes, compared with 14.8% in Colorado.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Arvada since 2015: I-25 (10), I-70 (10), I-76 (4), SR-121 (4) and SR-93 (4). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
36 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.6% share (Colorado: 2.8%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in July (17% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 5.8 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Arvada fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in July; review collection routes for that month.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-25 | 10 |
| I-70 | 10 |
| I-76 | 4 |
| SR-121 | 4 |
| SR-93 | 4 |
| SR-35 | 3 |
| SR-53 | 3 |
| SR-95 | 3 |
| US-287 | 3 |
| US-6 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jefferson County) |
|---|---|
| I 70 At Mp 259 | 11 |
| C470 At Mp 1 | 7 |
| Hwy 285 At Mp 240 | 7 |
| I 70 At Mp 262 | 7 |
| I70 At Mp 262 | 6 |
| I 70 At Ward Rd | 6 |
| I 70 At Mp 257 | 6 |
| I 70 At Mp 253 | 6 |
Arvada at a glance
| Population | 121,873 |
| Land area | 39.0 sq mi |
| Density | 3,126 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 80005) | $136,821 |
| Median home value (ZIP 80005) | $649,744 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jefferson 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 | 79 | — | 2.7 |
| 2000s | 114 | +44% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 98 | -14% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 76 | -22% | 3.6 |
In the 1990s about 79 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 76. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 2.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Arvada
How common are truck crashes in Arvada?
Jefferson County has had 1,011 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 322 people and killing 56.
When do most truck crashes happen in Arvada?
The worst month is January: 10.2% of truck crashes in Jefferson County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Arvada?
Garbage trucks were involved in 36 reported crashes in Jefferson County since 2015 (3.6% of truck crashes).
How does Arvada compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
Jefferson County records 14.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 32.6 across Colorado.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Arvada?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.