Elkhart, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elkhart: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elkhart 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 has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
Elkhart at a glance: I-35 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Elkhart: 4 since 2015.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 3,327 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,035 people injured and 47 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
Elkhart had 7 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Polk County numbers.
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.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, 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
I-35 leads within 10 miles of Elkhart with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-80 (3) and US-65 (3).
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.
They recorded 1.1 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Elkhart fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-35; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 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 | 3 |
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 |
Elkhart at a glance
| Population | 1,079 |
| Land area | 1.9 sq mi |
| Density | 572 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50073) | $100,972 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50073) | $279,375 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 112 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 301. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elkhart
How many truck accidents are there in Elkhart?
Polk County has had 3,327 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,035 people and killing 47.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Elkhart?
NHTSA data shows I-35 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elkhart since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Elkhart?
Truck crashes in Polk County peak in February, with 9.9% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Elkhart?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 100 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Elkhart compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 54.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Polk County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Elkhart?
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.