Ottumwa, IA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ottumwa: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ottumwa 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. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Wapello County: 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 16 days.
Ottumwa had 90 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%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.2% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 8.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 7.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Iowa: 18.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Ottumwa is US-63, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd (1), Mu-Dewey St (1) and SR-23 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
9 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.6% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Ottumwa fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use US-63, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Crash reporting for 2016 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
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) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 4 |
| CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd | 1 |
| Mu-Dewey St | 1 |
| SR-23 | 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 |
Ottumwa at a glance
| Population | 25,648 |
| Land area | 16.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,597 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 52501) | $63,426 |
| Median home value (ZIP 52501) | $123,202 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 8 to 22. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. 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 Ottumwa
How common are truck crashes in Ottumwa?
Wapello County has had 247 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 117 people and killing 13.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Ottumwa?
NHTSA data shows US-63 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Ottumwa since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Ottumwa?
July has the most truck crashes in Wapello County, 13.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ottumwa?
Garbage trucks were involved in 9 reported crashes in Wapello County since 2015 (3.6% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Ottumwa compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Wapello County has 62.8 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ottumwa?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
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.