Grand River, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Grand River: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Grand River and Decatur County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Decatur County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 143 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Decatur County compares with Iowa
Decatur County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Decatur County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Decatur County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 163.9 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 2.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.4% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.2% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 57.2% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 40.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.8× the state |
Decatur County sits below Iowa on morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Decatur County: 8.0 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Since 2015, 143 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Decatur County. They injured 84 people and killed 11.
That averages about one truck crash every 29 days in fully reported years.
Grand River had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Decatur County numbers.
85% of truck crash reports in Decatur County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 16.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 3.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 57.2% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (7.7%).
17.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Grand River since 2015: I-35 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Grand River fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Decatur County.
- 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 Decatur County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Decatur County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 11 |
| I35Sb At The 24Mm | 3 |
| I 35 Sb @ 19.30 Mile Marker | 3 |
| Hwy 2 W.B. @ I-35 N.B. On/Off | 2 |
| I 35 Sb @ 19.50 Mile Marker | 2 |
| I35Nb At The 21Mm | 2 |
| Interstate 35/I 35 | 2 |
| Interstate 35/I 35 24Mm | 2 |
Grand River at a glance
| Population | 192 |
| Land area | 0.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,016 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50108) | $38,125 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Decatur 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 | — | 0.1 |
| 2000s | 6 | +83% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 9 | +45% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 14 | +45% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 14. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Grand River
How many truck crashes happen in Grand River?
Since 2015, 143 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Decatur County (84 injured, 11 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Grand River?
The worst month is January: 16.8% of truck crashes in Decatur County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Grand River?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Decatur County since 2015, 2.1% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Grand River compare with Iowa?
Decatur County records 163.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Grand River?
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.