ZIP 98121 (Seattle, WA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 98121: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in King 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
0.6 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How King County compares with Washington
King County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where King County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | King County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 22.1 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 14% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 24% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.17 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.3% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 56% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.8% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.5% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.5% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 23.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
King County sits below Washington on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
ZIP 98121 at a glance: 1.9× yearly fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 98121: 2.2 in 2016–19, 4.2 in 2020–24.
Overview
Police reported 6,019 crashes involving commercial trucks in King County since 2015: 1,063 people were injured and 156 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
When crashes happen
October has the most truck crashes, 9.3% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (7.4%).
November through March accounts for 41.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.4%).
4.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-5 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). It is followed by SR-99 (4), 1st Ave S (1) and 30th Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 180 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 2.2% in Washington.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in April (12% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.6, vs 2.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 98121 fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in King County.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in King County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 7 |
| SR-99 | 4 |
| 1st Ave S | 1 |
| 30th Ave | 1 |
| 37th Ave S | 1 |
| Airport Way S | 1 |
| Albaum Blvd Sw | 1 |
| Ambaum Blvd Sw | 1 |
| CR-1ST Ave | 1 |
| Corson Ave S | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (King County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-167*026.00 | 24 |
| Sr-167*024.00 | 23 |
| Sr-167*014.00 | 22 |
| Sr-18*026.30 | 19 |
| Sr-167*019.00 | 18 |
| Sr-18*002.00 | 18 |
| Sr-18*001.00 | 17 |
| Sr-18*003.00 | 16 |
ZIP 98121 at a glance
| Population | 21,166 |
| Density | 18,427 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $152,019 |
| Median home value | $839,516 |
| Home ownership | 23% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in King 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 | 330 | — | 10.3 |
| 2000s | 344 | +4% | 8.0 |
| 2010s | 451 | +31% | 7.2 |
| 2020s | 523 | +16% | 14.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 330 to 523. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 10.0 a year in 2016–19 and 14.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 98121
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 98121?
6,019 truck crashes have been reported in King County since 2015, with 156 deaths and 1,063 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 98121?
NHTSA data shows I-5 with 7 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 98121 since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 98121?
The worst month is October: 9.3% of truck crashes in King County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 98121?
180 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in King County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 98121 compared with Washington?
The yearly rate is 22.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in King County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 98121?
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.