ZIP 52501 (Ottumwa, IA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 52501: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Wapello 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
9 of 247 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Wapello County compares with Iowa
Wapello County against Iowa and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Wapello County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Wapello County | Iowa | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 62.8 | 68.1 | 49.7 | 8% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 7.6% | 18.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.7% | 15.1% | 13.8% | 29% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 45.4% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 24.6% | 23.1% | 24.8% | same |
Wapello County has lower values than Iowa for crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Wapello County at a glance: 1 in 28 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.6%, vs 2.2% in Iowa.
Overview
Police reported 247 crashes involving commercial trucks in Wapello County since 2015: 117 people were injured and 13 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 16 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
July has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 40.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 45.4% in Iowa.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (8.9%).
7.6% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 18.7% across Iowa.
Where crashes happen
US-63 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 52501 with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd (1), Mu-Dewey St (1) and SR-23 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 9 crashes, 3.6% of the total, against 2.2% across Iowa.
Route planning tips for ZIP 52501 fleets
- Review driver schedules for July, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-63 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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.
Reporting was incomplete in 2016, so those years are greyed out and left out of rates and comparisons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Wapello County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 3 |
| CR-V37 Agency Hendrick Rd | 1 |
| Mu-Dewey St | 1 |
| SR-23 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Wapello County) |
|---|---|
| US-63 | 37 |
| US-34 | 30 |
| Ia 149 | 12 |
| State 149/Iowa 149 | 7 |
| Eddyville Rd And Us 63 | 6 |
| H025/Dahlonega Rd | 4 |
| T061/Monroe Wapello Rd And Us | 3 |
| T061/Monroe Wapello Rd | 3 |
ZIP 52501 at a glance
| Population | 30,371 |
| Density | 52 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $63,426 |
| Median home value | $123,202 |
| Home ownership | 66% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Wapello 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 | 8 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 17 | +100% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 20 | +23% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 22 | +8% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 22 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 52501
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 52501?
Wapello County has had 247 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 117 people and killing 13.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 52501?
US-63 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 52501 since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 52501?
Truck crashes in Wapello County peak in July, with 13.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 52501?
Since 2015, Wapello County has reported 9 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 52501 compared with Iowa?
Per 100,000 residents, Wapello County has 62.8 truck crashes a year; Iowa has 68.1.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 52501?
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 2016; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.