Palo, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Palo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Palo 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).
Linn County at a glance: 1 in 21 garbage-truck share of crashes is 4.9%, against 2.2% for Iowa.
Overview
Linn County has recorded 1,090 truck crashes since 2015, with 411 people injured and 24 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Palo had 2 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
October has the most truck crashes, 10.5% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 40.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in 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
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Palo is I-380, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come 6th St Sw (1), CR-W36/COVINGTON Rd (1) and CR-W36/LEWIS Access Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
53 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 4.9% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
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 Palo fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-380 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.1% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; adjust start times where you can.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| 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-922 | 1 |
| US-30 | 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 |
Palo at a glance
| Population | 1,554 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,298 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52324) | $115,917 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52324) | $325,892 |
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. 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 Palo
How common are truck crashes in Palo?
Linn County has had 1,090 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 411 people and killing 24.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Palo?
NHTSA data shows I-380 with 2 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Palo since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Palo?
October has the most truck crashes in Linn County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Palo?
Since 2015, Linn County has reported 53 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Palo compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Linn County has 40.3 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Palo?
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.