Ellsworth County, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ellsworth County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 170 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ellsworth County compares with Kansas
Ellsworth County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ellsworth County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ellsworth County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 237.5 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 3.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 13.9 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 13% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.6% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 10.9% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 53% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.9% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.1% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 27.3% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Ellsworth County sits below Kansas on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Kansas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Ellsworth County at a glance: 13.9 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Kansas: 4.8).
Overview
Since 2015, 170 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ellsworth County. They injured 69 people and killed 23.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 24 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 17.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 4.7%.
November through March accounts for 49.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.2% in Kansas.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (8.8%).
20.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.3% across Kansas.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-156 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). Next come I-70 (3), SR-14 (1) and SR-15 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (Kansas: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Ellsworth County fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to SR-156 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 20.6% of truck crashes here, more than Kansas; schedule winter checks early.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Ellsworth County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Ellsworth County) |
|---|---|
| SR-156 | 5 |
| I-70 | 3 |
| SR-14 | 1 |
| SR-15 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ellsworth County) |
|---|---|
| I-070 | 71 |
| I-70 | 15 |
| 10Th Road | 1 |
| 11Th | 1 |
| 15Th | 1 |
| 18Th Road | 1 |
| 3Rd | 1 |
| Douglas | 1 |
Ellsworth County at a glance
| Population | 6,316 |
| Land area | 715.6 sq mi |
| Density | 9 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $67,099 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ellsworth 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 | 11 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 17 | +59% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 16 | -5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 15 | -9% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 11 to 15. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Ellsworth County
ZIP codes in Ellsworth County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Ellsworth County
How many truck accidents are there in Ellsworth County?
Since 2015, 170 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Ellsworth County (69 injured, 23 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Ellsworth County?
SR-156 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Ellsworth County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Ellsworth County?
January has the most truck crashes in Ellsworth County, 17.6% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ellsworth County?
Since 2015, Ellsworth County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Ellsworth County compared with Kansas?
The yearly rate is 237.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Ellsworth County, vs 61.4 for Kansas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Ellsworth County?
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.