Spencer, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Spencer: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Spencer and Clay County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Clay County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 119 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Clay County compares with Iowa
Clay County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Clay County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Clay County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.6 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 57% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 22.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.3% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 45% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.4% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Clay County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice.
Clay County at a glance: 1 in 108 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.9%, against 2.2% for Iowa.
Overview
Clay County has recorded 119 truck crashes since 2015, with 54 people injured and 7 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 37 days.
Only 40 truck crashes were reported in Spencer since 2015; patterns below come from Clay County as a whole.
36% of truck crash reports in Clay County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in April (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in September (5.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.4% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (10.9%).
22.2% 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 Spencer happened on US-18 (1) and US-71 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.7% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Spencer fleets
- Plan April schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Clay County.
- Morning starts matter: 26.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 22.2% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Clay County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 1 |
| US-71 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Clay County) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 10 |
| US-18 | 7 |
| Us 71 And B019/320Th St And Us | 6 |
| 130Th Ave | 4 |
| 310Th Ave | 2 |
| 430Th St And 310Th Ave | 2 |
| Ave And Us 18 | 2 |
| E 4Th St And Us 18/N Grand Ave | 2 |
Spencer at a glance
| Population | 11,418 |
| Land area | 10.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,043 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51301) | $63,402 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51301) | $187,770 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Clay 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 | 4 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 10 | +121% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 11 | +16% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 10 | -14% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 10. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Spencer
How many truck crashes happen in Spencer?
119 truck crashes have been reported in Clay County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 54 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Spencer?
April has the most truck crashes in Clay County, 11.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Spencer?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Clay County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Spencer compared with Iowa?
Clay County records 59.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Spencer?
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.