Creston, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Creston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Creston and Union County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Union County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 61 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Union County compares with Iowa
Union County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.1 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 12.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.2% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 8% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.6% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 43% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.0% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 19.0% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 18% below the state |
Compared with Iowa, Union 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).
Union County at a glance: 12.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.5 across Iowa.
Overview
Since 2015, 61 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Union County. They injured 29 people and killed 8.
That averages about one truck crash every 69 days in fully reported years.
Only 19 truck crashes were reported in Creston since 2015; patterns below come from Union County as a whole.
52% of truck crash reports in Union County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 16.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 3.3%.
November through March accounts for 50.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 13.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 17.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Creston happened on US-34 (3); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Union County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Creston fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.9% of truck crashes here, more than Iowa; adjust start times where you can.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Union County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union County) |
|---|---|
| US-34 | 9 |
| Osage St | 3 |
| Maple St And Us 34 | 2 |
| State 25/S Sumner Ave And Us 3 | 2 |
| 140Th St | 1 |
| 150Th St | 1 |
| 190Th St | 1 |
| 190Th St And Us 34 | 1 |
Creston at a glance
| Population | 7,421 |
| Land area | 5.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,430 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 50801) | $58,015 |
| Median home value (ZIP 50801) | $126,608 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 5 | +141% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 5 | -13% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 6 | +38% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 6 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Creston
How many truck crashes happen in Creston?
Since 2015, 61 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Union County (29 injured, 8 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Creston?
December has the most truck crashes in Union County, 16.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Creston?
Since 2015, Union County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Creston compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 44.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Union County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Creston?
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.