ZIP 28209 (Charlotte, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28209: 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 |
Mecklenburg County sits below North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr.
The headline for ZIP 28209: I-77 deadliest road: 14 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28209 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
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.0% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-77 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 28209 with 14 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-85 (11), I-485 (8) and US-29 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 187 crashes, 1.9% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in April (14%).
They recorded 3.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 28209 fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-77, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 | 14 |
| I-85 | 11 |
| I-485 | 8 |
| US-29 | 4 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-49 | 2 |
| Steele Creek Rd | 2 |
| Carmel Rd | 1 |
| Hovis Rd | 1 |
| Matheson Ave | 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 28209 at a glance
| Population | 24,331 |
| Density | 1,711 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $101,873 |
| Median home value | $623,030 |
| Home ownership | 48% |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 175 a year in the 1990s and 765 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 12.0 a year in 2016–19, 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28209
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 28209?
Mecklenburg County has had 9,717 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 6,305 people and killing 150.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 28209?
Since 2015, I-77 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28209: 14.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 28209?
June has the most truck crashes in Mecklenburg County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 28209?
Since 2015, Mecklenburg County has reported 187 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.9% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 28209 compared with North Carolina?
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 28209?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
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.