Central City, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Central City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Central City 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Linn County: 1 in 21 crashes involve a garbage truck (53 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 1,090 crashes involving commercial trucks in Linn County since 2015: 411 people were injured and 24 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
With 5 truck crashes reported in Central City since 2015, this page uses Linn County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
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
The worst month is October with 10.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 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.
Road surface: 11.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Central City since 2015 were spread across roads: Ts-County Home Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 53 crashes, 4.9% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (17% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Central City fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Linn County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.1% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Linn County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Ts-County Home Rd | 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 |
Central City at a glance
| Population | 1,254 |
| Land area | 1.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,168 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52214) | $86,786 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52214) | $234,252 |
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 Central City
How many truck crashes happen in Central City?
Linn County has had 1,090 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 411 people and killing 24.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Central City?
Truck crashes in Linn County peak in October, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Central City?
Since 2015, Linn County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Central City compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Linn County has 40.3 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Central 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.