Urbandale, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Urbandale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Urbandale 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.
What stands out in Urbandale: I-35 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Urbandale since 2015.
Overview
Polk County has recorded 3,327 truck crashes since 2015, with 1,035 people injured and 47 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Only 351 truck crashes were reported in Urbandale since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
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
Truck crashes peak in February (9.9% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.7% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across 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 Urbandale is I-35, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-80 (2), 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%).
Their busiest month is August, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Urbandale 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 | 3 |
| I-80 | 2 |
| 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 |
Urbandale at a glance
| Population | 47,759 |
| Land area | 22.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2,119 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 |
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 Urbandale
How common are truck crashes in Urbandale?
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 Urbandale?
I-35 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Urbandale since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Urbandale?
The worst month is February: 9.9% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Urbandale?
Since 2015, Polk County has reported 100 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Urbandale compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Polk County has 54.7 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Urbandale?
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.