Chester, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chester: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chester and Howard County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Howard County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 87 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Howard County compares with Iowa
Howard County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Howard County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Howard County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 74.8 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 63% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.3% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.8% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 53.2% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 23.4% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Howard County sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Howard County: February worst month: 12.6% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 87 crashes involving commercial trucks in Howard County since 2015: 47 people were injured and 1 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 52 days.
Only 3 truck crashes were reported in Chester since 2015; patterns below come from Howard County as a whole.
64% of truck crash reports in Howard County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 12.6% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (3.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 53.2% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 16.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 27.3% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Chester since 2015: US-63 (3). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Chester fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 27.3% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter 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 Howard County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Howard County) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 19 |
| 150Th St | 3 |
| 150Th St And Willow Ave | 2 |
| A023/50Th St | 2 |
| B017/190Th St | 2 |
| Ft North Of 175Th St. On U | 2 |
| Ia 9 | 2 |
| Us 63 And State 9/Iowa 9 | 2 |
Chester at a glance
| Population | 134 |
| Land area | 1.4 sq mi |
| Density | 97 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52134) | $63,125 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Howard 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 | 2 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 6 | +157% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 6 | +15% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 6 | -13% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 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 large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chester
How many truck crashes happen in Chester?
Howard County has had 87 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 47 people and killing 1.
When do most truck crashes happen in Chester?
Truck crashes in Howard County peak in February, with 12.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Chester?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Howard County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Chester compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 74.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Howard County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Chester?
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.