Marathon, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Marathon: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Marathon and Buena Vista County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Buena Vista County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 170 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Buena Vista County compares with Iowa
Buena Vista County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Buena Vista County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Buena Vista County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 68.6 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.4% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 17.8% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Buena Vista County is lower on in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
Buena Vista County at a glance: January worst month: 12.9% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 170 crashes involving commercial trucks in Buena Vista County since 2015: 69 people were injured and 10 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 26 days in fully reported years.
Marathon had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Buena Vista County numbers.
68% of truck crash reports in Buena Vista County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.9% of the year) and are lowest in March (3.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.7% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
20.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Marathon since 2015: US-71 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Marathon fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 28.0% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- With 20.4% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Iowa), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Buena Vista County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Buena Vista County) |
|---|---|
| Ia 7 | 4 |
| US-71 | 3 |
| SR-71 | 3 |
| 100Th Ave And C013/440Th St An | 3 |
| 20Th Ave And Ia 3 | 2 |
| C025/480Th St And Us 71/130Th | 2 |
| Highway 3, West Of M-54 | 2 |
| Hwy 71 & C-49 | 2 |
Marathon at a glance
| Population | 221 |
| Land area | 0.7 sq mi |
| Density | 295 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50565) | $51,875 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50565) | $84,189 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Buena Vista 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 | 6 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 11 | +81% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 13 | +20% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 15 | +13% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 6 a year in the 1990s and 15 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Marathon
How common are truck crashes in Marathon?
Since 2015, 170 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Buena Vista County (69 injured, 10 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Marathon?
Truck crashes in Buena Vista County peak in January, with 12.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Marathon?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Buena Vista County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Marathon compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Buena Vista County has 68.6 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Marathon?
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.