Clear Lake, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Clear Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Clear Lake and Cerro Gordo County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cerro Gordo County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 387 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cerro Gordo County compares with Iowa
Cerro Gordo County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cerro Gordo County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cerro Gordo County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.5 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 9% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 30.9% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.8% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.1% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 55.8% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 28.1% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Cerro Gordo County sits below Iowa on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Cerro Gordo County: 30.9% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 18.7% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 387 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cerro Gordo County since 2015: 126 people were injured and 12 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 79 truck crashes were reported in Clear Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Cerro Gordo County as a whole.
45% of truck crash reports in Cerro Gordo 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, 15.0% of the yearly total, while September has the fewest (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 55.8% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 10.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 30.9% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Clear Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-S26/HICKORY Ave (1), I-35 (1), S Carolina Ave (1) and US-18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 8 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Clear Lake fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.8% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; adjust start times where you can.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 30.9% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; 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 Cerro Gordo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-S26/HICKORY Ave | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
| S Carolina Ave | 1 |
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cerro Gordo County) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 8 |
| US-65 | 8 |
| Interstate 35/I 35 | 6 |
| I-35 | 5 |
| 300Th St | 5 |
| 150Th St | 4 |
| Ramp Us 18 W To I 35 | 3 |
| Mm I 35 | 3 |
Clear Lake at a glance
| Population | 7,602 |
| Land area | 10.8 sq mi |
| Density | 705 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50428) | $81,037 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50428) | $282,036 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cerro Gordo 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 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 27 | +92% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 29 | +7% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 30 | +5% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 30. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Clear Lake
How common are truck crashes in Clear Lake?
387 truck crashes have been reported in Cerro Gordo County since 2015, with 12 deaths and 126 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Clear Lake?
January has the most truck crashes in Cerro Gordo County, 15.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Clear Lake?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cerro Gordo County since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
How does Clear Lake compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 75.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cerro Gordo County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Clear Lake?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.