Orchard, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Orchard: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Orchard and Mitchell County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mitchell County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 95 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mitchell County compares with Iowa
Mitchell County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mitchell County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mitchell County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 74.4 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.9% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 20% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 14% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.8% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 62% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 14.9% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 35% below the state |
Mitchell County sits below Iowa on on snow, slush or ice, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Mitchell County: 1 in 29 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.5%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Mitchell County has recorded 95 truck crashes since 2015, with 39 people injured and 5 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 46 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Orchard since 2015; patterns below come from Mitchell County as a whole.
65% of truck crash reports in Mitchell 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, 11.6% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.7% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 12.6% of truck crashes.
14.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Orchard since 2015 were spread across roads: US-18 (3) and US-218 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 3.2% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Orchard fleets
- Plan October schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mitchell County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Mitchell County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 3 |
| US-218 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mitchell County) |
|---|---|
| US-218 | 11 |
| Ia 9 | 7 |
| Lancer Ave | 3 |
| 420Th St | 3 |
| 465Th St And Kirkwood Ave | 2 |
| 490Th St | 2 |
| B017/320Th St And Us 218 | 2 |
| Monument Ave | 2 |
Orchard at a glance
| Population | 64 |
| Land area | 0.1 sq mi |
| Density | 634 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50460) | $77,083 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mitchell 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 | 3 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 4 | +43% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 7 | +68% | 0.2 |
| 2020s | 9 | +28% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 9. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Orchard
How common are truck crashes in Orchard?
Since 2015, 95 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Mitchell County (39 injured, 5 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Orchard?
Truck crashes in Mitchell County peak in October, with 11.6% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Orchard?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mitchell County since 2015, 3.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Orchard compare with Iowa?
Mitchell County records 74.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Orchard?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.