Rochester, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rochester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rochester and Cedar County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cedar County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 592 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cedar County compares with Iowa
Cedar County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cedar County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cedar County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 273.8 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 4.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 41% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.8% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 53.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 29.1% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Cedar County sits below Iowa on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Cedar County: 24.8% in rain, sleet or snow, against 15.1% across Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 592 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cedar County since 2015: 221 people were injured and 20 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 7 days.
Rochester had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cedar County numbers.
77% of truck crash reports in Cedar County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 14.0% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.1%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 53.0% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
The busiest hour is 4–5 pm, with 7.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 26.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Rochester is I-80, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-38 (3) and US-6 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 1.2%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Rochester fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cedar County.
- Look at alternatives to I-80 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 26.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Iowa; 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
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 Cedar County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 7 |
| SR-38 | 3 |
| US-6 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cedar County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 51 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 24 |
| US-30 | 12 |
| Ia 38 | 7 |
| I80 Wb 255.35 | 5 |
| I 80 W / Mm 276 | 5 |
| I 80 W Mm 257 | 4 |
| I 80 W Mm 265.3 | 4 |
Rochester at a glance
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52772) | $81,267 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52772) | $222,217 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cedar 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 | 19 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 37 | +90% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 36 | -2% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 55 | +52% | 1.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 19 to 55. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rochester
How many truck accidents are there in Rochester?
Cedar County has had 592 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 221 people and killing 20.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Rochester?
I-80 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Rochester since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Rochester?
Truck crashes in Cedar County peak in January, with 14.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rochester?
7 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cedar County since 2015, 1.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Rochester compare with Iowa?
Cedar County records 273.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Rochester?
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.