Letts, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Letts: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Letts and Muscatine County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Muscatine County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 269 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Muscatine County compares with Iowa
Muscatine County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Muscatine County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Muscatine County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 55.5 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 19% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 46% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 17% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.7% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 23% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.6% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.9% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 22% below the state |
Muscatine County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Letts: US-61 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Letts since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 269 crashes involving commercial trucks in Muscatine County since 2015: 124 people were injured and 12 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 16 days.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Letts since 2015; patterns below come from Muscatine County as a whole.
40% of truck crash reports in Muscatine County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 12.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.9%.
November through March accounts for 43.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 10.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 15.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Letts is US-61, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come CR-X17 (1), SR-70 (1) and Third St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 3 crashes, 1.1% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Letts fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Muscatine County.
- Check whether your routes use US-61, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 30.7% 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
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 Muscatine County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-61 | 3 |
| CR-X17 | 1 |
| SR-70 | 1 |
| Third St | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Muscatine County) |
|---|---|
| US-61 | 31 |
| US-6 | 9 |
| Ia 22 | 6 |
| State 22/Iowa 22 | 5 |
| Dick Drake Way | 4 |
| Isett Ave And Us 61 | 4 |
| State 38/Park Ave And Us 61 An | 3 |
| Y014/Taylor Ave | 3 |
Letts at a glance
| Population | 358 |
| Land area | 0.6 sq mi |
| Density | 631 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52754) | $104,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52754) | $199,478 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Muscatine 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 | 21 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 22 | +5% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 23 | +6% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 21 | -11% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 21 to 21. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Letts
How common are truck crashes in Letts?
Muscatine County has had 269 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 124 people and killing 12.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Letts?
NHTSA data shows US-61 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Letts since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Letts?
January has the most truck crashes in Muscatine County, 12.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Letts?
Since 2015, Muscatine County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Letts compare with Iowa?
Muscatine County records 55.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Letts?
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.