Chelan County, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Chelan 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 230 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Chelan County compares with Washington
Chelan County against Washington and the US, 2015–2023 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Chelan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2023) | Chelan County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 26.3 | 25.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 53% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.16 | 0.18 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 38.5% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 4.0× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.2% | 24.8% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 26.6% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 57.8% | 43.8% | 41.9% | 1.3× the state |
| After dark | 25.5% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Chelan County has lower values than Washington for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Washington on on snow, slush or ice, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Chelan County: 38.5% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.7% in Washington.
Overview
Since 2015, 230 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Chelan County. They injured 39 people and killed 3.
That averages about one truck crash every 17 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (14.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (2.6%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 57.8% of truck crashes, vs 43.8% for Washington.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 11.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 38.5% of truck crashes, compared with 9.7% in Washington.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in Chelan County happened on US-97 (2), CR-CHUMSTICK Hwy (1) and Skyline Dr (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Washington: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Chelan County fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 31.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Washington.
- With 38.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Washington), plan winter equipment 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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2024 and 2025, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Chelan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Chelan County) |
|---|---|
| US-97 | 2 |
| CR-CHUMSTICK Hwy | 1 |
| Skyline Dr | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Chelan County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-97*176.00 | 6 |
| Sr-2*110.00 | 4 |
| Sr-97*164.00 | 4 |
| Sr-2 Mp 096.20 | 3 |
| Sr-2*077.00 | 3 |
| Sr-2*115.00 | 3 |
| Sr-97*165.00 | 3 |
| Sr-97*170.00 | 3 |
Chelan County at a glance
| Population | 81,228 |
| Land area | 2,921.2 sq mi |
| Density | 28 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $83,157 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Chelan 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 | 16 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +1% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 19 | +17% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 21 | +12% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 16 to 21. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Chelan County
ZIP codes in Chelan County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Chelan County
How common are truck crashes in Chelan County?
230 truck crashes have been reported in Chelan County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 39 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Chelan County?
The worst month is January: 14.3% of truck crashes in Chelan County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Chelan County?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Chelan County since 2015, 1.3% of all truck crashes.
How does Chelan County compare with Washington for truck crashes?
Chelan County records 26.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 25.8 across Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Chelan County?
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 2024 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.