Chelsea, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chelsea: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Chelsea and Tama County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Tama County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 135 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Tama County compares with Iowa
Tama County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Tama County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Tama County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 69.0 | 68.1 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 64% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.8% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 16% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 33.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.2% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.5% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 11% below the state |
Tama County sits below Iowa on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Tama County: 1 in 127 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.8%, against 2.2% for Iowa.
Overview
Tama County has recorded 135 truck crashes since 2015, with 54 people injured and 9 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 32 days.
With 3 truck crashes reported in Chelsea since 2015, this page uses Tama County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
61% of truck crash reports in Tama County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (12.6% of the year) and are lowest in May (3.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 48.0% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 11.1% of truck crashes.
15.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Chelsea is US-30, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by CR-320TH St (1), SR-21 (1) and US-18 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 0.7% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Chelsea fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-30, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 33.9% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Iowa; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Tama County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 5 |
| CR-320TH St | 1 |
| SR-21 | 1 |
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Tama County) |
|---|---|
| US-30 | 27 |
| US-63 | 11 |
| Ia 8 | 3 |
| Highway T47 | 2 |
| Highway V18 And 230Th St And H | 2 |
| New Highway 30 Construction | 2 |
| State 21/Iowa 21 And Us 30 And | 2 |
| T047/Hwy T47 | 2 |
Chelsea at a glance
| Population | 207 |
| Land area | 1.0 sq mi |
| Density | 204 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52215) | $61,932 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52215) | $185,533 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Tama 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 | 6 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 7 | +22% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 9 | +29% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 13 | +40% | 0.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 6 to 13. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Chelsea
How many truck crashes happen in Chelsea?
Since 2015, 135 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Tama County (54 injured, 9 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Chelsea?
NHTSA data shows US-30 with 5 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Chelsea since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Chelsea?
November has the most truck crashes in Tama County, 12.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Chelsea?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Tama County since 2015 (0.7% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Chelsea compared with Iowa?
Tama County records 69.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 68.1 across Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Chelsea?
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.