ZIP 50111 (Grimes, IA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 50111: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Polk 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
1.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Polk County compares with Iowa
Polk County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Polk County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Polk County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.7 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 20% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.7% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 21% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.1% | 15.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.2% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Iowa, Polk County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Iowa on garbage-truck share.
What stands out in ZIP 50111: I-35 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of ZIP 50111.
Overview
Police reported 3,327 crashes involving commercial trucks in Polk County since 2015: 1,035 people were injured and 47 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 9.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 6.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.7% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.8%).
14.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 50111 is I-35, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-28 (2), CR-R56/NW 6Th Dr (1) and I-80 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 100 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (12%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.1, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 50111 fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- Check whether your routes use I-35, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August 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 Polk County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 3 |
| SR-28 | 2 |
| CR-R56/NW 6Th Dr | 1 |
| I-80 | 1 |
| Martin Luther King Pkwy | 1 |
| Merle Hay Rd | 1 |
| SR-141 | 1 |
| SR-151 | 1 |
| SR-17 | 1 |
| SR-44 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Polk County) |
|---|---|
| Interstate 35/I 35 | 44 |
| I-80 | 38 |
| I-35 | 29 |
| I-235 | 28 |
| US-65 | 21 |
| Blk I 80 | 19 |
| Blk I8035 | 15 |
| Interstate 235/I 235 Measuring | 15 |
ZIP 50111 at a glance
| Population | 16,865 |
| Density | 259 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $120,769 |
| Median home value | $309,280 |
| Home ownership | 72% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Polk 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 | 112 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 212 | +90% | 4.1 |
| 2010s | 234 | +10% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 301 | +29% | 4.2 |
In the 1990s about 112 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 301. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.8 a year in 2016–19, 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 50111
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 50111?
Polk County has had 3,327 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,035 people and killing 47.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 50111?
NHTSA data shows I-35 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 50111 since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 50111?
The worst month is February: 9.9% of truck crashes in Polk County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 50111?
Garbage trucks were involved in 100 reported crashes in Polk County since 2015 (3.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 50111 compare with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Polk County has 54.7 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 50111?
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.