Portland, CO truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Portland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Portland and Ouray County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ouray County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 30 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ouray County compares with Colorado
Ouray County against Colorado and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ouray County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ouray County | Colorado | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 47.2 | 32.6 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 18.5 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 3.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 29.6% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 2.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 11.1% | 25.7% | 23.7% | 57% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.9% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 2.0× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.0% | 43.5% | 41.9% | 15% below the state |
| After dark | 22.2% | 22.4% | 24.8% | same |
Ouray County sits below Colorado on morning rush (6–10 am) and winter months (nov–mar). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Ouray County at a glance: 18.5 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 5.1 across Colorado.
Overview
Police reported 30 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ouray County since 2015: 12 people were injured and 5 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 149 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Portland since 2015; patterns below come from Ouray County as a whole.
83% of truck crash reports in Ouray County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in May (16.7% of the year) and are lowest in March (0.0%).
November through March accounts for 37.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.5% in Colorado.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 16.7% of truck crashes.
29.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 14.8% across Colorado.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Portland since 2015 were spread across roads: US-550 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Colorado: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Portland fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 29.6% of truck crashes here, more than Colorado; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Ouray County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-550 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ouray County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 550 At Mp 114 | 2 |
| Cr 1 At Jacks Place | 1 |
| Cr 10 At Hwy 550 | 1 |
| Cr 23 At Lynx Rd | 1 |
| Hhy 550 .50 Miles N Of Mp 103 | 1 |
| Hwy 550 .80 Miles E Of Mp 14 | 1 |
| Hwy 550 .90 Miles E Of Mp 101 | 1 |
| Hwy 550 1,056 Feet E Of Mp 112 | 1 |
Portland at a glance
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 81432) | $90,882 |
| Median home value (ZIP 81432) | $823,352 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ouray 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 | 4 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 5 | +29% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 3 | -37% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 2 | -14% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 4 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 2. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Portland
How common are truck crashes in Portland?
Ouray County has had 30 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 12 people and killing 5.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Portland?
Truck crashes in Ouray County peak in May, with 16.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Portland?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Ouray County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
How does Portland compare with Colorado for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 47.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ouray County, vs 32.6 for Colorado.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Portland?
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.