Cortez, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cortez: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cortez and Montezuma County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Montezuma County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 208 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Montezuma County compares with Colorado
Montezuma County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Montezuma County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Montezuma County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.8 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 2.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.4 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 24.1% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 25.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.7% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 1.7× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.2% | 43.5% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 29.1% | 22.4% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Montezuma County sits below Colorado on garbage-truck share. It runs above Colorado on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Montezuma County at a glance: 0 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.0%, against 2.8% for Colorado.
Overview
Police reported 208 crashes involving commercial trucks in Montezuma County since 2015: 72 people were injured and 15 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 20 days in fully reported years.
Only 19 truck crashes were reported in Cortez since 2015; patterns below come from Montezuma County as a whole.
83% of truck crash reports in Montezuma County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 14.4% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (3.8%).
November through March accounts for 52.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.5% in Colorado.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 9.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 24.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Colorado: 14.8%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cortez since 2015: US-160 (4) and US-491 (4). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Montezuma County.
Route planning tips for Cortez fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 24.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Colorado; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Montezuma County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-160 | 4 |
| US-491 | 4 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Montezuma County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 491 At Mp 45 | 7 |
| S Broadway At W Main St | 4 |
| SR-491 | 4 |
| Hwy 491 At Mp 41 | 3 |
| Hwy 491 At Mp 39 | 3 |
| Hwy 491 At Mp 29 | 3 |
| Hwy 160 At Mp 25 | 3 |
| Colorado State Patrol | 2 |
Cortez at a glance
| Population | 9,151 |
| Land area | 6.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,469 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Montezuma 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 | 14 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 15 | +12% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 16 | +3% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 19 | +18% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 14 a year in the 1990s and 19 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cortez
How common are truck crashes in Cortez?
Montezuma County has had 208 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 72 people and killing 15.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cortez?
The worst month is December: 14.4% of truck crashes in Montezuma County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cortez?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Montezuma County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cortez compared with Colorado?
Per 100,000 residents, Montezuma County has 68.8 truck crashes a year; Colorado has 32.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Cortez?
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.