Wharton, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wharton: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wharton and Wharton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Wharton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 735 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Wharton County compares with Texas
Wharton County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wharton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wharton County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 152.9 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 2.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.57 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 23% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.4% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 15% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.2% | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.9% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 34.9% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 14% below the state |
| After dark | 30.1% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with Texas, Wharton County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Wharton: US-59 deadliest road: 9 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Wharton since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 735 crashes involving commercial trucks in Wharton County since 2015: 424 people were injured and 55 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 6 days.
Wharton had 118 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Wharton County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.6% of the year) and are lowest in November (6.4%).
November through March accounts for 34.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Texas.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (7.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.4% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in Texas.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Wharton is US-59, with 9 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-60 (3), Fm 102/Ogden St (1) and Fm 1301 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 7 crashes, 1.0% of the total, against 1.1% across Texas.
Route planning tips for Wharton fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-59 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
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Wharton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 9 |
| SR-60 | 3 |
| Fm 102/Ogden St | 1 |
| Fm 1301 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wharton County) |
|---|---|
| US-59 | 34 |
| Us 59 Hwy | 11 |
| Ogden St | 6 |
| Sh 60 Hwy | 6 |
| West Loop | 5 |
| N 100 Mechanic St | 4 |
| N Us 59 Hwy | 4 |
| S 1700 Mechanic St | 4 |
Wharton at a glance
| Population | 8,755 |
| Land area | 8.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,054 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 77488) | $60,327 |
| Median home value (ZIP 77488) | $163,557 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wharton 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 | 47 | — | 2.3 |
| 2000s | 62 | +31% | 2.5 |
| 2010s | 53 | -14% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 67 | +26% | 3.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 47 a year in the 1990s and 67 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 2.0 a year in 2016–19 and 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wharton
How common are truck crashes in Wharton?
735 truck crashes have been reported in Wharton County since 2015, with 55 deaths and 424 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Wharton?
Since 2015, US-59 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Wharton: 9.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Wharton?
The worst month is October: 10.6% of truck crashes in Wharton County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Wharton?
Since 2015, Wharton County has reported 7 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Wharton compared with Texas?
The yearly rate is 152.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Wharton County, vs 62.9 for Texas.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Wharton?
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.