Mitchellville, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Mitchellville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Mitchellville 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. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
The headline for Polk County: 1.4 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.5 in Iowa.
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.
Mitchellville had 4 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.
14.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Mitchellville since 2015: I-80 (5), US-65 (5), SR-163 (4), 8th St Sw (1) and CR-F48 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
100 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (12%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Mitchellville fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Polk County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
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-80 | 5 |
| US-65 | 5 |
| SR-163 | 4 |
| 8th St Sw | 1 |
| CR-F48 | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
| Ne 46th St | 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 |
Mitchellville at a glance
| Population | 2,686 |
| Land area | 2.8 sq mi |
| Density | 960 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50169) | $83,938 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50169) | $227,644 |
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 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 Mitchellville
How many truck accidents are there in Mitchellville?
Polk County has had 3,327 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,035 people and killing 47.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Mitchellville?
February has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Mitchellville?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 100 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Mitchellville compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Polk County has 54.7 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Mitchellville?
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.