Spirit Lake, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Spirit Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Spirit Lake and Dickinson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dickinson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 83 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dickinson County compares with Iowa
Dickinson County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dickinson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dickinson County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.5 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 39% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.3% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 50% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 56% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 21% below the state |
| After dark | 10.7% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 54% below the state |
Dickinson County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: injuries per crash.
The headline for Dickinson County: November 12.0% of truck crashes happen in November, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 83 crashes involving commercial trucks in Dickinson County since 2015: 43 people were injured and 2 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 54 days.
Spirit Lake had 21 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dickinson County numbers.
49% of truck crash reports in Dickinson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 12.0% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.0% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (10.8%).
Road surface: 9.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Spirit Lake since 2015: US-71 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 1.2%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Spirit Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for November, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Dickinson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dickinson County) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 12 |
| Ia 86 | 5 |
| Ia 9 | 5 |
| State 9/Iowa 9 | 3 |
| Hudson Ave West | 2 |
| State 86/Iowa 86 | 2 |
| State 9/Iowa 9 And 310Th Ave | 2 |
| Us 0071 / Us 71 | 2 |
Spirit Lake at a glance
| Population | 5,548 |
| Land area | 4.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,227 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51360) | $75,882 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51360) | $280,643 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dickinson 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 7 | +140% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 7 | -3% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 6 | -14% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 6 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Spirit Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Spirit Lake?
Since 2015, 83 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dickinson County (43 injured, 2 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Spirit Lake?
Truck crashes in Dickinson County peak in November, with 12.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Spirit Lake?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dickinson County since 2015, 1.2% of all truck crashes.
How does Spirit Lake compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 37.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dickinson County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Spirit Lake?
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.