Mediapolis, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mediapolis: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mediapolis and Des Moines County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Des Moines County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 170 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Des Moines County compares with Iowa
Des Moines County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Des Moines County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Des Moines County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.4 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 10% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.7% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.4% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.5% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 37% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 15.8% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 31% below the state |
Des Moines County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and winter months (nov–mar).
The headline for Des Moines County: November the month with the most truck crashes: 14.7% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 170 crashes involving commercial trucks in Des Moines County since 2015: 66 people were injured and 6 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 25 days in fully reported years.
With 7 truck crashes reported in Mediapolis since 2015, this page uses Des Moines County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
32% of truck crash reports in Des Moines County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is November with 14.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.7% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (11.8%).
Road surface: 12.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Mediapolis since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-H38 Medapolis Rd (1), CR-X99 Dmc 99 (1) and US-61 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Mediapolis fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Des Moines County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-H38 Medapolis Rd | 1 |
| CR-X99 Dmc 99 | 1 |
| US-61 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Des Moines County) |
|---|---|
| US-61 | 7 |
| US-34 | 4 |
| Agency St And Us 61 | 4 |
| Mason Rd And Us 61 | 3 |
| Henry Des Moines Ave And Us 34 | 3 |
| Division St And Central Ave | 3 |
| Central Ave | 2 |
| Dmc 99 Signed Route Measuring | 2 |
Mediapolis at a glance
| Population | 1,679 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,399 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52637) | $81,477 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52637) | $194,413 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Des Moines 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 | 11 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 15 | +38% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 13 | -12% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 15 | +12% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 11 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 15. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Mediapolis
How many truck accidents are there in Mediapolis?
Since 2015, 170 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Des Moines County (66 injured, 6 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Mediapolis?
Truck crashes in Des Moines County peak in November, with 14.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Mediapolis?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Des Moines County since 2015 (2.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Mediapolis compared with Iowa?
Des Moines County records 37.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Mediapolis?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.