St. Paul, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Paul: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Paul and Lee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 204 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Lee County compares with Iowa
Lee County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lee County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 9.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 53% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 21% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 13% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.8% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.9% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.8% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Lee County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes.
What stands out in Lee County: 9.2 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.5 in Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 204 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Lee County. They injured 85 people and killed 18.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 20 days.
St. Paul had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lee County numbers.
59% of truck crash reports in Lee County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (12.3% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.4%).
November through March accounts for 46.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 11.3% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of St. Paul is US-218, with 7 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-2 (2), CR-J38/LOCUST St (1) and SR-16 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for St. Paul fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lee County.
- Check whether your routes use US-218, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Lee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-218 | 7 |
| SR-2 | 2 |
| CR-J38/LOCUST St | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lee County) |
|---|---|
| US-218 | 14 |
| US-61 | 11 |
| State 16/Iowa 16 | 6 |
| State 27/Iowa 27 | 4 |
| Us 218 S And Ia 16 | 3 |
| Carbide Ln And Us 61 | 3 |
| 255Th St And Ia 27 | 3 |
| 10Th St Us 218/Main St | 2 |
St. Paul at a glance
| Population | 105 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 276 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52657) | $72,500 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lee 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 | 11 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 20 | +84% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 17 | -14% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 20 | +16% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 11 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 20. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 0.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Paul
How many truck crashes happen in St. Paul?
204 truck crashes have been reported in Lee County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 85 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in St. Paul?
NHTSA data shows US-218 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Paul since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in St. Paul?
The worst month is February: 12.3% of truck crashes in Lee County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in St. Paul?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lee County since 2015, 1.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in St. Paul compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 55.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lee County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in St. Paul?
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.