Harlan County, KY truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Harlan 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
2 of 101 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Harlan County compares with Kentucky
Harlan County against Kentucky and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Harlan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Harlan County | Kentucky | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.6 | 68.4 | 49.7 | 48% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.0% | 5.0% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.5% | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.3% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.8% | 41.0% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 14.3% | 24.4% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
Harlan County has lower values than Kentucky for crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Harlan County: 6.1 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.5 across Kentucky.
Overview
Since 2015, 101 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Harlan County. They injured 55 people and killed 6.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 41 days.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 11.9% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (5.0%).
November through March accounts for 37.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in Kentucky.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 10.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kentucky: 5.0%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Harlan County is US-421, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by US-119 (2) and SR-3457 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.0% share (Kentucky: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Harlan County fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-421 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Harlan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Harlan County) |
|---|---|
| US-421 | 3 |
| US-119 | 2 |
| SR-3457 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Harlan County) |
|---|---|
| US-0421 | 40 |
| US-0119 | 28 |
| Ky0038 | 7 |
| Ky0221 | 6 |
| Ky0072 | 3 |
| Ky0179 | 2 |
| Ky0215 | 2 |
| Ky2006 | 2 |
Harlan County at a glance
| Population | 25,052 |
| Land area | 465.8 sq mi |
| Density | 54 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $41,724 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Harlan 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 | 3 | — | 0.8 |
| 2000s | 23 | +574% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 11 | -51% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 10 | -12% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 10. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Harlan County
ZIP codes in Harlan County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Harlan County
How many truck accidents are there in Harlan County?
101 truck crashes have been reported in Harlan County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 55 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Harlan County?
Since 2015, US-421 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes in Harlan County: 3.
When do most truck crashes happen in Harlan County?
Truck crashes in Harlan County peak in May, with 11.9% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Harlan County?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Harlan County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Harlan County compare with Kentucky for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 35.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Harlan County, vs 68.4 for Kentucky.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Harlan County?
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.