Pella, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pella: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pella and Marion County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Marion County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 202 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Marion County compares with Iowa
Marion County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Marion County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Marion County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 52.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 23% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 43% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.9% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.4% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 20% below the state |
Marion County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Iowa on garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Marion County: 1 in 25 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.1%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 202 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Marion County. They injured 81 people and killed 5.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 20 days.
Pella had 34 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Marion County numbers.
57% of truck crash reports in Marion County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 10.9% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.9% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 11.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 12.8% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Pella happened on SR-163 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 4.0% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Pella fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Marion County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-163 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Marion County) |
|---|---|
| State 163/Iowa 163 | 16 |
| State 5/Iowa 5 | 13 |
| Ia 5 | 10 |
| Ia 163 | 10 |
| Ia 14 | 8 |
| Highway T 17 | 4 |
| State 14/Iowa 14 | 4 |
| T017/Hwy T17 | 3 |
Pella at a glance
| Population | 10,965 |
| Land area | 9.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,174 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50219) | $86,807 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50219) | $302,401 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Marion 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 | 5 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 9 | +89% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 15 | +65% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 17 | +16% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 5 a year in the 1990s and 17 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 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pella
How many truck crashes happen in Pella?
Since 2015, 202 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Marion County (81 injured, 5 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Pella?
Truck crashes in Marion County peak in January, with 10.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Pella?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Marion County since 2015, 4.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Pella compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 52.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Marion County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Pella?
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.