Montezuma, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Montezuma: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Montezuma and Poweshiek County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Poweshiek County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 421 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Poweshiek County compares with Iowa
Poweshiek County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Poweshiek County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Poweshiek County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 189.7 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 2.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 76% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 23.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 10% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.4% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.4% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.8% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Poweshiek County sits below Iowa on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Poweshiek County: 1 in 192 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 421 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Poweshiek County. They injured 222 people and killed 27.
That averages about one truck crash every 10 days in fully reported years.
Montezuma had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Poweshiek County numbers.
78% of truck crash reports in Poweshiek County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.2% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (5.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.4% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 7.1% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 23.6% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of Montezuma with 6 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-21 (2), CR-QUEENS Ave (1) and CR-V18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.5% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Montezuma fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 23.6% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Poweshiek County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 6 |
| SR-21 | 2 |
| CR-QUEENS Ave | 1 |
| CR-V18 | 1 |
| SR-85 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Poweshiek County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 34 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 20 |
| Ia 146 | 6 |
| US-63 | 5 |
| Sb/Wb Interstate 0080 (Milepos | 4 |
| I 80 Wb 186 Mm | 4 |
| I 80 Wb 187Mm | 4 |
| 204.3Mm Wb I80 | 3 |
Montezuma at a glance
| Population | 1,421 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 575 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50171) | $65,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50171) | $216,269 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Poweshiek 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 28 | +97% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 30 | +7% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 36 | +18% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 14 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 36. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Montezuma
How common are truck crashes in Montezuma?
421 truck crashes have been reported in Poweshiek County since 2015, with 27 deaths and 222 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Montezuma?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Montezuma: 6.
When do most truck crashes happen in Montezuma?
The worst month is January: 11.2% of truck crashes in Poweshiek County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Montezuma?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Poweshiek County since 2015, 0.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Montezuma compared with Iowa?
Poweshiek County records 189.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Montezuma?
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.