Cedar Rapids, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cedar Rapids: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cedar Rapids and Linn County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Linn County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Linn County compares with Iowa
Linn County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Linn County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Linn County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 41% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 37% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 7% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 11.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.1% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.3% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 19% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 16.4% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Linn County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Linn County: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.9%, against 2.2% for Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 1,090 crashes involving commercial trucks in Linn County since 2015: 411 people were injured and 24 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Only 627 truck crashes were reported in Cedar Rapids since 2015; patterns below come from Linn County as a whole.
20% of truck crash reports in Linn County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
11.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Cedar Rapids is US-151, with 8 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-380 (4), US-30 (3) and SR-1 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 53 of the truck crashes here, or 4.9%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Their busiest month is May, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Cedar Rapids fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-151, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Linn County.
- Morning starts matter: 29.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- 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 Linn County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-151 | 8 |
| I-380 | 4 |
| US-30 | 3 |
| SR-1 | 2 |
| 6th St Sw | 1 |
| CR-F12 120 St | 1 |
| CR-F20/AMANA Rd | 1 |
| CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd | 1 |
| Mu-Ellis Blvd Nw | 1 |
| Mu-N12Th Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Linn County) |
|---|---|
| I-380 | 68 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 | 34 |
| US-30 | 34 |
| US-151 | 12 |
| Us 151/Dubuque Rd | 9 |
| Edgewood Rd Sw | 9 |
| Interstate 380/I 380 Measuring | 6 |
| E034/County Home Rd And State | 6 |
Cedar Rapids at a glance
| Population | 137,904 |
| Land area | 74.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,848 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52401) | $35,060 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52401) | $175,228 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Linn 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 | 31 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 55 | +75% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 82 | +50% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 96 | +17% | 2.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 31 a year in the 1990s and 96 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cedar Rapids
How many truck accidents are there in Cedar Rapids?
Linn County has had 1,090 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 411 people and killing 24.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Cedar Rapids?
US-151 had 8 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of Cedar Rapids since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Cedar Rapids?
Truck crashes in Linn County peak in October, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cedar Rapids?
Since 2015, Linn County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How does Cedar Rapids compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Linn County records 40.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cedar Rapids?
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.