ZIP 51501 (Council Bluffs, IA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 51501: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Pottawattamie 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
15 of 1,310 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pottawattamie County compares with Iowa
Pottawattamie County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pottawattamie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pottawattamie County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 118.3 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 1.7× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 20% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.5% | 18.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.4% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.9% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.5% | 45.4% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.3% | 23.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Pottawattamie County sits below Iowa on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. It runs above Iowa on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for ZIP 51501: I-80 9 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of ZIP 51501.
Overview
Police reported 1,310 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pottawattamie County since 2015: 420 people were injured and 31 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 3 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 47.5% of truck crashes, against 45.4% across Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 10–11 am than at any other hour (6.6%).
17.5% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
I-80 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 51501 with 9 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-6 (3), US-75 (3) and Abbott Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 15 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 2.2% in Iowa.
Route planning tips for ZIP 51501 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Where you can, review stops along I-80; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- 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 Pottawattamie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 9 |
| US-6 | 3 |
| US-75 | 3 |
| Abbott Dr | 1 |
| CR-G066 Pioneer Trl | 1 |
| CR-L35 221St St | 1 |
| CR-MYNSTER Springs Rd | 1 |
| I-29 | 1 |
| I-480 | 1 |
| I-680 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pottawattamie County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 62 |
| I-29 | 20 |
| Interstate 29/I 29 | 15 |
| Interstate 80/I 80 | 14 |
| US-6 | 11 |
| I-880 | 8 |
| Interstate 29/I29 Ramp | 8 |
| US-59 | 6 |
ZIP 51501 at a glance
| Population | 34,618 |
| Density | 558 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $59,843 |
| Median home value | $147,306 |
| Home ownership | 64% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pottawattamie 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 | 70 | — | 2.9 |
| 2000s | 81 | +16% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 96 | +18% | 1.7 |
| 2020s | 114 | +19% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 70 a year in the 1990s and 114 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 51501
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 51501?
Since 2015, 1,310 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pottawattamie County (420 injured, 31 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 51501?
Since 2015, I-80 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 51501: 9.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 51501?
January has the most truck crashes in Pottawattamie County, 11.9% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 51501?
Since 2015, Pottawattamie County has reported 15 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.1% of its truck crashes.
How does ZIP 51501 compare with Iowa for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 118.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pottawattamie County, vs 68.1 for Iowa.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 51501?
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.