Winterset, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Winterset: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Winterset and Madison County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Madison County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 77 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Madison County compares with Iowa
Madison County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Madison County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Madison County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 44% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.24 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 41% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 6.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 3.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.5× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 11.1% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 52% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Madison County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and winter months (nov–mar). Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Madison County: 1 in 14 crashes involve a garbage truck (5 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 77 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Madison County. They injured 18 people and killed 3.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 56 days.
Winterset had 9 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Madison County numbers.
73% of truck crash reports in Madison 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 15.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 2.6%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.3% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (15.6%).
Road surface: 27.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Winterset happened on CR-P71 W Summit St (1) and Ts-Upland Ave (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 6.5% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Winterset fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 30.6% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Iowa.
- With 27.8% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Iowa), plan winter equipment checks early.
- 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 Madison County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-P71 W Summit St | 1 |
| Ts-Upland Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Madison County) |
|---|---|
| US-169 | 6 |
| G04R/Cumming Rd | 3 |
| 105Th St | 2 |
| Ia 92 | 2 |
| Ivy Ave (1000 Blk) | 2 |
| 130Th St And Cottonwood Ave | 1 |
| 1689 260Th St | 1 |
| 220Th St | 1 |
Winterset at a glance
| Population | 5,421 |
| Land area | 4.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,151 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50273) | $82,633 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50273) | $218,536 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Madison 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 | 1 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 6 | +457% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 7 | +2% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 7 | +4% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 1 a year in the 1990s and 7 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Winterset
How many truck crashes happen in Winterset?
Madison County has had 77 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 18 people and killing 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Winterset?
October has the most truck crashes in Madison County, 15.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Winterset?
Garbage trucks were involved in 5 reported crashes in Madison County since 2015 (6.5% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Winterset compare with Iowa?
Madison County records 38.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Winterset?
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.