Kalona, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Kalona: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Kalona 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 sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
Johnson County at a glance: January 12.4% of truck crashes happen in January, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 1,147 crashes involving commercial trucks in Johnson County since 2015: 466 people were injured and 40 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Kalona since 2015; patterns below come from Johnson County as a whole.
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
The worst month is January with 12.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is September at 6.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.3% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 7.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.1% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Kalona since 2015: CR-F52/BLACK Diamond Rd Sw (1) and SR-22 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 20 of the truck crashes here, or 1.7%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (15% of them).
Route planning tips for Kalona fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 20.1% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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) |
|---|---|
| CR-F52/BLACK Diamond Rd Sw | 1 |
| SR-22 | 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 |
Kalona at a glance
| Population | 2,762 |
| Land area | 2.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,282 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52247) | $91,450 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52247) | $298,929 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 40 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 100. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.5 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Kalona
How many truck accidents are there in Kalona?
Johnson County has had 1,147 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 466 people and killing 40.
When do most truck crashes happen in Kalona?
The worst month is January: 12.4% of truck crashes in Johnson County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Kalona?
20 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Johnson County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Kalona compared with Iowa?
Johnson County records 61.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Kalona?
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.