Ely, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ely: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ely 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 sits below Iowa on 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).
The headline for 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.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Ely had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Linn County numbers.
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%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.3% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (8.4%).
Road surface: 11.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-380 leads within 10 miles of Ely with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-1 (2), US-151 (2) and US-30 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
53 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (17%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ely fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Linn County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-380; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-380 | 4 |
| SR-1 | 2 |
| US-151 | 2 |
| US-30 | 2 |
| 6th St Sw | 1 |
| CR-F12 120 St | 1 |
| Mu-Ellis Blvd Nw | 1 |
| SR-100 | 1 |
| SR-922 | 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 |
Ely at a glance
| Population | 2,371 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,406 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52227) | $120,230 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52227) | $343,783 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 31 to 96. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 Ely
How many truck accidents are there in Ely?
Since 2015, 1,090 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Linn County (411 injured, 24 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Ely?
Since 2015, I-380 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ely: 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ely?
October has the most truck crashes in Linn County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Ely?
Garbage trucks were involved in 53 reported crashes in Linn County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Ely compared with Iowa?
Linn County records 40.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ely?
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.