Ellsworth, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ellsworth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ellsworth and Hamilton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hamilton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 405 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Hamilton County compares with Iowa
Hamilton County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hamilton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hamilton County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 230.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 3.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 76% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 39.1% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 27.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 60.6% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 34.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Compared with Iowa, Hamilton County is lower on garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Hamilton County: 39.1% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 18.7% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 405 crashes involving commercial trucks in Hamilton County since 2015: 225 people were injured and 16 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Ellsworth had 13 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Hamilton County numbers.
74% of truck crash reports in Hamilton County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 18.8% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (4.0%).
November through March accounts for 60.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 11.9% of truck crashes.
39.1% 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 Ellsworth since 2015: CR-KANTOR Ave (1) and I-35 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.5% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Ellsworth fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Hamilton County.
- Morning starts matter: 26.3% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- With 39.1% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Iowa), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Hamilton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-KANTOR Ave | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hamilton County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 37 |
| US-20 | 17 |
| Ia 17 | 11 |
| I 35 S, 141.75Mm | 10 |
| Interstate 35/I 35 | 9 |
| Nb Exit Ramp | 7 |
| Ramp 220Th St, E To E To State | 6 |
| Ramp Us 20 W To I 35 N And I 3 | 4 |
Ellsworth at a glance
| Population | 495 |
| Land area | 0.9 sq mi |
| Density | 561 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50075) | $81,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50075) | $162,115 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hamilton 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 | 12 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 21 | +80% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 24 | +12% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 42 | +77% | 1.2 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ellsworth
How common are truck crashes in Ellsworth?
Since 2015, 405 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Hamilton County (225 injured, 16 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ellsworth?
December has the most truck crashes in Hamilton County, 18.8% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ellsworth?
Since 2015, Hamilton County has reported 2 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ellsworth compared with Iowa?
Hamilton County records 230.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ellsworth?
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.