Cherokee, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cherokee: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cherokee and Cherokee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cherokee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 153 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cherokee County compares with Iowa
Cherokee County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cherokee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cherokee County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 114.6 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.62 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 38% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.0% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 9% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.7% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 32% below the state |
Cherokee County sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Cherokee County: 1.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Cherokee County has recorded 153 truck crashes since 2015, with 93 people injured and 3 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 27 days.
With 28 truck crashes reported in Cherokee since 2015, this page uses Cherokee County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
59% of truck crash reports in Cherokee County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in June (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.3% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 17.0% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cherokee since 2015: US-59 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Cherokee fleets
- Review driver schedules for November, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 32.6% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Cherokee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cherokee County) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 17 |
| Ia 3 | 8 |
| State 3/Iowa 3 | 8 |
| L036/D Ave | 4 |
| L051/L Ave | 4 |
| Main St | 3 |
| M021/W Ave | 3 |
| F Ave | 3 |
Cherokee at a glance
| Population | 5,186 |
| Land area | 6.8 sq mi |
| Density | 759 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51012) | $69,531 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51012) | $150,266 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cherokee 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 | 3 | — | 0.5 |
| 2000s | 8 | +119% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 13 | +69% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 14 | +8% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 14. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cherokee
How many truck accidents are there in Cherokee?
153 truck crashes have been reported in Cherokee County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 93 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cherokee?
The worst month is November: 12.4% of truck crashes in Cherokee County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cherokee?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Cherokee County since 2015 (1.3% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Cherokee compare with Iowa?
Cherokee County records 114.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cherokee?
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.