Columbus, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Columbus: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Columbus and Cherokee County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cherokee County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 187 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Cherokee County compares with Kansas
Cherokee County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cherokee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cherokee County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 87.0 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 31% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.32 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 48% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.8% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 6.6% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 57% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 35.5% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 16% below the state |
| After dark | 26.2% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Cherokee County sits below Kansas on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
Cherokee County at a glance: 1 in 92 crashes involve a garbage truck (2 since 2015), vs 2.1% across Kansas.
Overview
Cherokee County has recorded 187 truck crashes since 2015, with 63 people injured and 6 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 22 days in fully reported years.
With 22 truck crashes reported in Columbus since 2015, this page uses Cherokee County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
62% of truck crash reports in Cherokee County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 12.8% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (4.3%).
November through March accounts for 35.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 3.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Columbus.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 2.1% in Kansas.
Route planning tips for Columbus fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cherokee County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cherokee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cherokee County) |
|---|---|
| Military | 5 |
| Clem | 5 |
| East | 4 |
| 7Th | 3 |
| 10Th | 2 |
| U069 Alt | 2 |
| 100Th | 1 |
| 12Th | 1 |
Columbus at a glance
| Population | 2,878 |
| Land area | 2.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,183 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 66725) | $48,443 |
| Median home value (ZIP 66725) | $110,469 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cherokee 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 | 17 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 13 | -20% | 1.8 |
| 2010s | 16 | +19% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 17 | +6% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 17 a year in the 1990s and 17 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Columbus
How many truck accidents are there in Columbus?
Cherokee County has had 187 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 63 people and killing 6.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Columbus?
June has the most truck crashes in Cherokee County, 12.8% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Columbus?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Cherokee County since 2015 (1.1% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Columbus compare with Kansas?
The yearly rate is 87.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cherokee County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Columbus?
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.