Ottawa, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ottawa: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ottawa and Waukesha County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Waukesha County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Waukesha County compares with Wisconsin
Waukesha County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Waukesha County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Waukesha County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.5 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 26% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 56% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.1% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 47% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.0% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.8% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 29% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 15.2% | 20.9% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Compared with Wisconsin, Waukesha County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Ottawa: CR-C deadliest road: 2 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Ottawa since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,556 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Waukesha County. They injured 635 people and killed 25.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 6 truck crashes were reported in Ottawa since 2015; patterns below come from Waukesha County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in September (10.3% of the year) and are lowest in March (5.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.2% of truck crashes, vs 44.9% for Wisconsin.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 9.8% of truck crashes.
7.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 13.4% across Wisconsin.
Where crashes happen
CR-C leads within 10 miles of Ottawa with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come 4th St (1), SR-59 (1) and SR-83 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 58 of the truck crashes here, or 3.7%, compared with 2.7% in Wisconsin.
Their busiest month is May, with 12% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 1.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ottawa fleets
- Build extra time into September routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use CR-C, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Waukesha County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.0% of truck crashes here, more than Wisconsin; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Waukesha County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-C | 2 |
| 4th St | 1 |
| SR-59 | 1 |
| SR-83 | 1 |
| US-18 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Waukesha County) |
|---|---|
| I-094 | 273 |
| I-041 | 73 |
| Cth F | 67 |
| I-043 | 56 |
| Cth O | 47 |
| Sth 164 | 40 |
| Sth 059 | 36 |
| Ush 018 | 34 |
Ottawa at a glance
| Population | 3,667 |
| Land area | 32.8 sq mi |
| Density | 112 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 53118) | $108,772 |
| Median home value (ZIP 53118) | $364,974 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Waukesha 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 | 149 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 170 | +14% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 132 | -22% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 122 | -8% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 149 to 122. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ottawa
How many truck crashes happen in Ottawa?
Waukesha County has had 1,556 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 635 people and killing 25.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Ottawa?
CR-C had 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Ottawa since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Ottawa?
The worst month is September: 10.3% of truck crashes in Waukesha County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Ottawa?
Garbage trucks were involved in 58 reported crashes in Waukesha County since 2015 (3.7% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Ottawa compared with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 31.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Waukesha County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Ottawa?
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.