Ankeny, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ankeny: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ankeny and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Iowa
Polk County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.7 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.7% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 21% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.2% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Iowa, Polk County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Iowa on garbage-truck share.
Ankeny at a glance: I-35 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Ankeny since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 3,327 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 1,035 people and killed 47.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
With 231 truck crashes reported in Ankeny since 2015, this page uses Polk County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
29% of truck crash reports in Polk County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 9.9% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 42.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Ankeny is I-35, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-80 (3), US-65 (2) and 8th St Sw (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
100 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Their busiest month is August, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.1, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Ankeny fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- Look at alternatives to I-35 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 4 |
| I-80 | 3 |
| US-65 | 2 |
| 8th St Sw | 1 |
| CR-R56/NW 6Th Dr | 1 |
| Grand Ave | 1 |
| Guthrie Ave | 1 |
| I-235 | 1 |
| I-38 | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Pkwy | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| Interstate 35/I 35 | 44 |
| I-80 | 38 |
| I-35 | 29 |
| I-235 | 28 |
| US-65 | 21 |
| Blk I 80 | 19 |
| Blk I8035 | 15 |
| Interstate 235/I 235 Measuring | 15 |
Ankeny at a glance
| Population | 76,727 |
| Land area | 31.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2,405 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50023) | $117,826 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50023) | $345,197 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 112 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 212 | +90% | 4.1 |
| 2010s | 234 | +10% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 301 | +29% | 4.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 112 a year in the 1990s and 301 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ankeny
How common are truck crashes in Ankeny?
Since 2015, 3,327 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Polk County (1,035 injured, 47 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Ankeny?
I-35 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Ankeny since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ankeny?
February has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ankeny?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 100 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Ankeny compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Polk County records 54.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Ankeny?
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.