Ruthven, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ruthven: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ruthven and Palo Alto County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Palo Alto County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 91 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Palo Alto County compares with Iowa
Palo Alto County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Palo Alto County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Palo Alto County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 89.8 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 34% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 22% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.7% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 54% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 33.3% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 27% below the state |
| After dark | 17.2% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 25% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Palo Alto County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Palo Alto County: June the month with the most truck crashes: 15.4% of the year's total.
Overview
Palo Alto County has recorded 91 truck crashes since 2015, with 29 people injured and 2 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 46 days.
Ruthven had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Palo Alto County numbers.
74% of truck crash reports in Palo Alto County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 15.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 4.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 33.3% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (12.1%).
20.7% 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 Ruthven since 2015 were spread across roads: US-18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for Ruthven fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 20.7% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Palo Alto County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Palo Alto County) |
|---|---|
| US-18 | 3 |
| 3700-Blk 480Th Ave | 2 |
| 390St & 580 Ave | 2 |
| 4200 280 St | 2 |
| 480Th Ave And Us 18 | 2 |
| 4900 370 St | 2 |
| 4900 460 Ave | 2 |
| State 4/460 Ave And 390 St | 2 |
Ruthven at a glance
| Population | 710 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,740 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51358) | $64,583 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51358) | $150,178 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Palo Alto 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 6 | +93% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 8 | +41% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 7 | -11% | 0.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ruthven
How many truck accidents are there in Ruthven?
Since 2015, 91 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Palo Alto County (29 injured, 2 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ruthven?
Truck crashes in Palo Alto County peak in June, with 15.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Ruthven?
Since 2015, Palo Alto County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How does Ruthven compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Palo Alto County has 89.8 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ruthven?
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.