Swaledale, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Swaledale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Swaledale 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. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
Cerro Gordo County at a glance: 30.9% on snowy, slushy or icy roads, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 387 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cerro Gordo County. They injured 126 people and killed 12.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
Swaledale had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cerro Gordo County numbers.
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
Truck crashes peak in January (15.0% of the year) and are lowest in September (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 55.8% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.6%).
30.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Swaledale since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-B55 170Th St (1), I-35 (1) and US-65 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 2.1% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Swaledale fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 25.8% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- 30.9% 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 Cerro Gordo County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-B55 170Th St | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
| US-65 | 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 |
Swaledale at a glance
| Population | 136 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 546 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50477) | $52,321 |
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. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Swaledale
How many truck accidents are there in Swaledale?
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 Swaledale?
January has the most truck crashes in Cerro Gordo County, 15.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Swaledale?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cerro Gordo County since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Swaledale compared with Iowa?
Cerro Gordo County records 75.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Swaledale?
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.