Castle Rock, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Castle Rock: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Castle Rock and Cowlitz County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cowlitz County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 597 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cowlitz County compares with Washington
Cowlitz County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cowlitz County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cowlitz County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 44.8 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 26% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 9.2% | 9.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 29.0% | 20.2% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.0% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.2% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Compared with Washington, Cowlitz County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for Cowlitz County: 29.0% in rain, sleet or snow, against 20.2% across Washington.
Overview
Police reported 597 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cowlitz County since 2015: 109 people were injured and 14 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Only 146 truck crashes were reported in Castle Rock since 2015; patterns below come from Cowlitz County as a whole.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 10.7% of the yearly total, while August has the fewest (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 45.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 9.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Castle Rock happened on I-5 (1) and SR-504 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
13 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.2% share (Washington: 2.2%).
Route planning tips for Castle Rock fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most 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 Cowlitz County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 1 |
| SR-504 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cowlitz County) |
|---|---|
| Industrial Way | 8 |
| Sr-432*010.00 | 6 |
| 3Rd Ave Blk 500 | 4 |
| I-5 Mp 054.10 | 3 |
| Sr-432*004.40 | 3 |
| Sr-432*004.50 | 3 |
| Sr-433*001.00 | 3 |
| Tennant Way Blk 600 | 3 |
Castle Rock at a glance
| Population | 2,445 |
| Land area | 2.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,167 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 98611) | $86,322 |
| Median home value (ZIP 98611) | $427,345 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cowlitz 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 | 26 | — | 1.2 |
| 2000s | 37 | +40% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 43 | +18% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 56 | +29% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 26 a year in the 1990s and 56 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 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Castle Rock
How common are truck crashes in Castle Rock?
597 truck crashes have been reported in Cowlitz County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 109 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Castle Rock?
Truck crashes in Cowlitz County peak in May, with 10.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Castle Rock?
Since 2015, Cowlitz County has reported 13 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.2% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Castle Rock compare with Washington?
Per 100,000 residents, Cowlitz County has 44.8 truck crashes a year; Washington has 25.8.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Castle Rock?
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.