ZIP 50226 (Polk City, IA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 50226: 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 |
Polk County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Polk County: 1.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Iowa: 3.5).
Overview
Since 2015, 3,327 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Polk County. They injured 1,035 people and killed 47.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
February has the most truck crashes, 9.9% of the yearly total, while November has the fewest (6.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 42.7% of truck crashes, vs 45.4% for Iowa.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 7.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 14.7% of truck crashes, compared with 18.7% in Iowa.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 50226 happened on I-35 (1), Merle Hay Rd (1), SR-141 (1) and SR-17 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
100 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Iowa: 2.2%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (12%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.1 deaths compared with 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 50226 fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Polk County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 | 1 |
| Merle Hay Rd | 1 |
| SR-141 | 1 |
| SR-17 | 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 50226 at a glance
| Population | 7,759 |
| Density | 82 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $153,011 |
| Median home value | $419,321 |
| Home ownership | 90% |
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. NHTSA counts 2.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 50226
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 50226?
Polk County has had 3,327 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,035 people and killing 47.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 50226?
February has the most truck crashes in Polk County, 9.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 50226?
100 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Polk County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 50226 compare with Iowa?
The yearly rate is 54.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Polk County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 50226?
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.