Waterloo, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Waterloo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Waterloo and Black Hawk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Black Hawk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Black Hawk County compares with Iowa
Black Hawk County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Black Hawk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Black Hawk County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 48.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 30% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 17% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.0% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.8% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.3% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 12% below the state |
Black Hawk County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and after dark. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Black Hawk County: 1 in 28 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.6%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 739 crashes involving commercial trucks in Black Hawk County since 2015: 322 people were injured and 22 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 6 days in fully reported years.
With 354 truck crashes reported in Waterloo since 2015, this page uses Black Hawk County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
20% of truck crash reports in Black Hawk County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 10.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 6.2%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.8% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 9.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 17.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Waterloo happened on CR-C66 E Dunkerton Rd (1), Dysart Rd (1), E Shaulis Rd (1), I-35 (1) and I-380 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 26 of the truck crashes here, or 3.5%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Their busiest month is November, with 19% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Waterloo fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Black Hawk County.
- Waste haulers: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Black Hawk County.
- Morning starts matter: 26.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Black Hawk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-C66 E Dunkerton Rd | 1 |
| Dysart Rd | 1 |
| E Shaulis Rd | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
| I-380 | 1 |
| Mu-Pheasant Dr | 1 |
| SR-21 | 1 |
| SR-27 | 1 |
| SR-58 | 1 |
| W Airline Hwy | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Black Hawk County) |
|---|---|
| I-380 | 51 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 26 |
| US-218 | 22 |
| Us 218/Washington St | 13 |
| US-20 | 12 |
| Us 63/Hudson Rd | 10 |
| US-63 | 6 |
| Dubuque Rd | 5 |
Waterloo at a glance
| Population | 67,477 |
| Land area | 61.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,095 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50702) | $62,021 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50702) | $149,943 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Black Hawk 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 | 15 | — | 2.1 |
| 2000s | 51 | +242% | 1.7 |
| 2010s | 67 | +31% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 64 | -6% | 1.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 15 to 64. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Waterloo
How common are truck crashes in Waterloo?
Black Hawk County has had 739 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 322 people and killing 22.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Waterloo?
Truck crashes in Black Hawk County peak in December, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Waterloo?
Since 2015, Black Hawk County has reported 26 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Waterloo compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 48.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Black Hawk County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Waterloo?
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.