Falls City, OR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Falls City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Falls City and Polk County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Polk County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 291 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Oregon
Polk County against Oregon and the US, 2016–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2016–2025) | Polk County | Oregon | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.2 | 41.0 | 49.7 | 29% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.45 | 0.35 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.0% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.5% | 13.3% | 6.2% | 66% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 33.3% | 24.2% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.7% | 18.8% | 13.8% | 38% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.4% | 45.1% | 41.9% | 19% below the state |
| After dark | 15.5% | 25.3% | 24.8% | 39% below the state |
Compared with Oregon, Polk County is lower on 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 morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Polk County: 6.1 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.9 in Oregon.
Overview
Since 2015, 291 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 127 people and killed 16.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 14 days.
Only 1 truck crash was reported in Falls City since 2015; patterns below come from Polk County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.0% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (4.1%).
November through March accounts for 36.4% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.1% in Oregon.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 11.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 4.5% of truck crashes, compared with 13.3% in Oregon.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Falls City happened on SR-22W (2) and SR-223 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 1.7% of the total, against 2.0% across Oregon.
Route planning tips for Falls City fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 33.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Oregon; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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.
Crash reporting for 2015 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-22W | 2 |
| SR-223 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 99W & Bethel Rd | 5 |
| Clow Corner Rd & Riddell Rd | 3 |
| Hwy 22 & Perrydale Rd | 3 |
| Hwy 22 .45 E Hwy 99W On Ramp | 3 |
| Hwy 99 & Clow Corner Rd | 3 |
| Hwy 99 & Rickreall Rd | 3 |
| Hwy 99W & Clow Corner | 3 |
| Hwy 99W & Parker Rd | 3 |
Falls City at a glance
| Population | 1,057 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 879 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 97344) | $59,000 |
| Median home value (ZIP 97344) | $315,423 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 76 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 17 | -78% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 22 | +35% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 23 | +4% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 76 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 23. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.0 a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Falls City
How common are truck crashes in Falls City?
291 truck crashes have been reported in Polk County since 2015, with 16 deaths and 127 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Falls City?
The worst month is January: 11.0% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Falls City?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015, 1.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Falls City compared with Oregon?
The yearly rate is 29.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Polk County, vs 41.0 for Oregon.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Falls City?
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 2015; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.