Iowa City, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Iowa City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Iowa City and Johnson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Johnson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
20 of 1,147 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Johnson County compares with Iowa
Johnson County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Johnson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Johnson County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.7 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 9% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.7% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 24% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.1% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.4% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 18.4% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.1% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Johnson County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Iowa on on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in Iowa City: I-80 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Iowa City: 10 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,147 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Johnson County. They injured 466 people and killed 40.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
With 260 truck crashes reported in Iowa City since 2015, this page uses Johnson County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
43% of truck crash reports in Johnson County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in September (6.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.3% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 20.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-80 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (10). Next come CR-F08/MORSE Rd (1), CR-F52/BLACK Diamond Rd Sw (1) and SR-1 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 20 crashes, 1.7% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (15% of them).
Route planning tips for Iowa City fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-80, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 20.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Iowa; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Johnson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 10 |
| CR-F08/MORSE Rd | 1 |
| CR-F52/BLACK Diamond Rd Sw | 1 |
| SR-1 | 1 |
| US-218 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Johnson County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 76 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 63 |
| I-380 | 29 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 28 |
| US-218 | 23 |
| US-6 | 15 |
| State 1/Iowa 1 | 6 |
| Ia 1 | 5 |
Iowa City at a glance
| Population | 76,710 |
| Land area | 25.8 sq mi |
| Density | 2,977 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Johnson 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 | 40 | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 71 | +79% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 92 | +29% | 1.7 |
| 2020s | 100 | +9% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 40 a year in the 1990s and 100 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Iowa City
How many truck crashes happen in Iowa City?
Johnson County has had 1,147 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 466 people and killing 40.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Iowa City?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 10 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Iowa City since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Iowa City?
Truck crashes in Johnson County peak in January, with 12.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Iowa City?
Garbage trucks were involved in 20 reported crashes in Johnson County since 2015 (1.7% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Iowa City compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 61.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Johnson County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Iowa City?
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.