ZIP 28204 (Charlotte, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28204: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Mecklenburg 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
3.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mecklenburg County compares with North Carolina
Mecklenburg County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mecklenburg County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with North Carolina, Mecklenburg County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr.
ZIP 28204 at a glance: I-77 deadliest road: 15 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28204 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 9,717 crashes involving commercial trucks in Mecklenburg County since 2015: 6,305 people were injured and 150 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 2 truck crashes every day.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 9.3% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (7.7%).
November through March accounts for 41.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.6%).
Road surface: 0.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-77 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (15). After it: I-485 (13), I-85 (12) and US-29 (5).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 187 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Their busiest month is April, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.0 deaths compared with 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 28204 fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-77 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at April schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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.
Crash reporting for 2024 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Mecklenburg County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-77 | 15 |
| I-485 | 13 |
| I-85 | 12 |
| US-29 | 5 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-24 | 3 |
| SR-49 | 2 |
| Steele Creek Rd | 2 |
| Brookshire Blvd | 1 |
| Carmel Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mecklenburg County) |
|---|---|
| Brookshire Blvd | 104 |
| N Tryon St | 89 |
| Wilkinson Blvd | 88 |
| Westinghouse Blvd | 79 |
| N Graham St | 77 |
| S Tryon St | 75 |
| Statesville Rd | 70 |
| Albemarle Rd | 69 |
ZIP 28204 at a glance
| Population | 9,314 |
| Density | 2,039 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $92,054 |
| Median home value | $597,474 |
| Home ownership | 28% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mecklenburg 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 | 175 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 486 | +177% | 8.1 |
| 2010s | 839 | +73% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 765 | -9% | 11.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 175 to 765. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 12.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28204
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 28204?
Mecklenburg County has had 9,717 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 6,305 people and killing 150.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 28204?
Since 2015, I-77 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28204: 15.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 28204?
June has the most truck crashes in Mecklenburg County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 28204?
187 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mecklenburg County since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How does ZIP 28204 compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 73.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Mecklenburg County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 28204?
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; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.