Eldon, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Eldon: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Eldon and Wapello County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Wapello County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 247 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Wapello County compares with Iowa
Wapello County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wapello County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wapello County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 62.8 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 8% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 29% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 24.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Wapello County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Wapello County at a glance: 1 in 28 crashes involve a garbage truck (9 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 247 crashes involving commercial trucks in Wapello County since 2015: 117 people were injured and 13 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
Eldon had 2 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Wapello County numbers.
53% of truck crash reports in Wapello County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 40.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.9% of truck crashes.
7.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Eldon since 2015 were spread across roads: CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd (1) and SR-16 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 9 crashes, 3.6% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for Eldon fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2016, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Wapello County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wapello County) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 37 |
| US-34 | 30 |
| Ia 149 | 12 |
| State 149/Iowa 149 | 7 |
| Eddyville Rd And Us 63 | 6 |
| H025/Dahlonega Rd | 4 |
| T061/Monroe Wapello Rd And Us | 3 |
| T061/Monroe Wapello Rd | 3 |
Eldon at a glance
| Population | 788 |
| Land area | 1.1 sq mi |
| Density | 720 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52554) | $55,769 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52554) | $82,310 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wapello 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 | 8 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 17 | +100% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 20 | +23% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 22 | +8% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 22. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Eldon
How common are truck crashes in Eldon?
247 truck crashes have been reported in Wapello County since 2015, with 13 deaths and 117 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Eldon?
The worst month is July: 13.4% of truck crashes in Wapello County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Eldon?
9 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Wapello County since 2015, 3.6% of all truck crashes.
How does Eldon compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Wapello County has 62.8 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Eldon?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2016; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.