Clive, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Clive: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Clive 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 |
Polk County sits below Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
The headline for Clive: I-35 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Clive 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.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
With 111 truck crashes reported in Clive 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
The worst month is February with 9.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.7%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.8%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.7% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-35 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by I-80 (3), SR-28 (2) and CR-R56/NW 6Th Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
100 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (12% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Clive fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 |
| SR-28 | 2 |
| CR-R56/NW 6Th Dr | 1 |
| Grand Ave | 1 |
| I-235 | 1 |
| I-38 | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Pkwy | 1 |
| Merle Hay Rd | 1 |
| SR-141 | 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 |
Clive at a glance
| Population | 19,508 |
| Land area | 7.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,549 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50325) | $132,121 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50325) | $401,485 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.8 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Clive
How many truck crashes happen in Clive?
Polk County has had 3,327 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,035 people and killing 47.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Clive?
I-35 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Clive since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Clive?
Truck crashes in Polk County peak in February, with 9.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Clive?
Garbage trucks were involved in 100 reported crashes in Polk County since 2015 (3.0% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Clive compared with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 54.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Polk County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Clive?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.