ZIP 20879 (Gaithersburg, MD) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 20879: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Montgomery County, 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
2.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Montgomery County compares with Maryland
Montgomery County against Maryland and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Montgomery County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Montgomery County | Maryland | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 31.8 | 49.3 | 49.7 | 35% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 55% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.53 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.8% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.9% | 2.4% | 6.2% | 19% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.3% | 24.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.9% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.1% | 40.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Montgomery County sits below Maryland on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Montgomery County: 1 in 21 crashes involve a garbage truck (190 since 2015), vs 3.1% across Maryland.
Overview
Police reported 3,957 crashes involving commercial trucks in Montgomery County since 2015: 2,079 people were injured and 38 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (9.6% of the year) and are lowest in February (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 40.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.4% in Maryland.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.9% of truck crashes, compared with 2.4% in Maryland.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-270 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). Next come SR-200 (2), SR-355 (2) and Ashbury Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 190 of the truck crashes here, or 4.8%, compared with 3.1% in Maryland.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (12%).
They recorded 2.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 20879 fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-270, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Montgomery County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-270 | 4 |
| SR-200 | 2 |
| SR-355 | 2 |
| Ashbury Dr | 1 |
| CR-212 Shady Grove Rd | 1 |
| CR-3283 | 1 |
| CR-4139 Wightman Rd | 1 |
| I-97 | 1 |
| Mu-140 | 1 |
| SR-190 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Montgomery County) |
|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 851 |
| Eisenhower Memorial Hwy | 456 |
| Georgia Ave | 92 |
| Shady Grove Rd | 83 |
| Frederick Rd | 82 |
| Acrs Marked Off Road | 75 |
| New Hampshire Ave | 72 |
| Rockville Pike | 55 |
ZIP 20879 at a glance
| Population | 25,264 |
| Density | 1,132 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $112,104 |
| Median home value | $466,177 |
| Home ownership | 70% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Montgomery 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 | 177 | — | 3.7 |
| 2000s | 206 | +17% | 3.6 |
| 2010s | 262 | +27% | 2.6 |
| 2020s | 354 | +35% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 177 to 354. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 2.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 20879
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 20879?
Montgomery County has had 3,957 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,079 people and killing 38.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 20879?
I-270 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 20879 since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 20879?
The worst month is December: 9.6% of truck crashes in Montgomery County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 20879?
190 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Montgomery County since 2015, 4.8% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 20879 compared with Maryland?
The yearly rate is 31.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Montgomery County, vs 49.3 for Maryland.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 20879?
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.