Portsmouth, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Portsmouth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Portsmouth and Shelby County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Shelby County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 73 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Shelby County compares with Iowa
Shelby County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Shelby County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Shelby County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 53.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 22% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.84 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 2.0× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 33% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 61% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.2% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 52% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.5% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 15.9% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 31% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Shelby County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Shelby County: June 13.7% of truck crashes happen in June, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 73 crashes involving commercial trucks in Shelby County since 2015: 62 people were injured and 4 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 58 days in fully reported years.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Portsmouth since 2015; patterns below come from Shelby County as a whole.
68% of truck crash reports in Shelby County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 13.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 1.4%.
November through March accounts for 43.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 15.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 7.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Portsmouth since 2015 were spread across roads: US-59 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Portsmouth fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 31.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Iowa; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 9 |
| State 44/Chatburn Ave | 4 |
| 1500Th St And St F32 Unsigned | 3 |
| F032/Street F32 | 2 |
| Ia 191 | 2 |
| Ia 44 | 2 |
| Ia 44 East Of Exchange | 2 |
| State 37/Iowa 37 | 2 |
Portsmouth at a glance
| Population | 187 |
| Land area | 0.3 sq mi |
| Density | 609 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 51565) | $103,257 |
| Median home value (ZIP 51565) | $187,661 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Shelby 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 | 2 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 2 | +53% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 6 | +158% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 6 | -9% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 6. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Portsmouth
How many truck crashes happen in Portsmouth?
Since 2015, 73 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Shelby County (62 injured, 4 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Portsmouth?
June has the most truck crashes in Shelby County, 13.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Portsmouth?
1 crash involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Shelby County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Portsmouth compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Shelby County has 53.1 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Portsmouth?
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.