Thornton, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Thornton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Thornton 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 |
Compared with Iowa, Cerro Gordo County is lower on injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am).
Cerro Gordo County at a glance: 30.9% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 18.7% in Iowa.
Overview
Cerro Gordo County has recorded 387 truck crashes since 2015, with 126 people injured and 12 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Thornton 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.
30.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Thornton happened on I-35 (1); no road leads clearly.
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 Thornton 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.
- With 30.9% 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
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) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 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 |
Thornton at a glance
| Population | 394 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 317 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50479) | $68,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50479) | $132,408 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 30. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 Thornton
How common are truck crashes in Thornton?
Since 2015, 387 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Cerro Gordo County (126 injured, 12 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Thornton?
The worst month is January: 15.0% of truck crashes in Cerro Gordo County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Thornton?
Garbage trucks were involved in 8 reported crashes in Cerro Gordo County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Thornton compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Cerro Gordo County has 75.5 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Thornton?
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.