Hiawatha, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hiawatha: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hiawatha 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 |
Compared with Iowa, Linn County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Iowa on 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.
Only 61 truck crashes were reported in Hiawatha 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
October has the most truck crashes, 10.5% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (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%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 11.6% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-151 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by I-380 (2), 6th St Sw (1) and CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 53 of the truck crashes here, or 4.9%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (17% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Hiawatha fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-151 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Linn County.
- 29.1% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Iowa; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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) |
|---|---|
| US-151 | 4 |
| I-380 | 2 |
| 6th St Sw | 1 |
| CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd | 1 |
| CR-W36/LEWIS Access Rd | 1 |
| Mu-Ellis Blvd Nw | 1 |
| Mu-N12Th Ave | 1 |
| SR-100 | 1 |
| SR-922 | 1 |
| 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 |
Hiawatha at a glance
| Population | 7,347 |
| Land area | 4.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1,542 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52233) | $65,575 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52233) | $198,821 |
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. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hiawatha
How many truck accidents are there in Hiawatha?
Since 2015, 1,090 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Linn County (411 injured, 24 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Hiawatha?
NHTSA data shows US-151 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hiawatha since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Hiawatha?
October has the most truck crashes in Linn County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Hiawatha?
Since 2015, Linn County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Hiawatha compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 40.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Linn County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Hiawatha?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.