Evanston, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Evanston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Evanston and Cook County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cook County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cook County compares with Illinois
Cook County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cook County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cook County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.0% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Cook County sits below Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Cook County: 1.3 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Illinois.
Overview
Police reported 29,495 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cook County since 2015: 15,477 people were injured and 367 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 7 truck crashes a day.
Only 96 truck crashes were reported in Evanston since 2015; patterns below come from Cook County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is June with 9.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 7.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.6% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.2% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 5.7% of truck crashes, compared with 9.0% in Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Evanston since 2015 were spread across roads: I-294 (4), I-90 (4), I-94 (3), Golf Rd (2) and SR-64 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 425 crashes, 1.4% of the total, against 1.4% across Illinois.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (11%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.2, vs 1.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Evanston fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cook County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cook County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-294 | 4 |
| I-90 | 4 |
| I-94 | 3 |
| Golf Rd | 2 |
| SR-64 | 2 |
| US-14 | 2 |
| Central Rd | 1 |
| Central St | 1 |
| Damen Ave | 1 |
| Fullerton Ave | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cook County) |
|---|---|
| I-294 | 2,877 |
| I-90 | 989 |
| I-94 | 802 |
| I-290 | 473 |
| I-55 | 458 |
| I-80 | 348 |
| S Cicero Ave | 339 |
| I-57 | 296 |
Evanston at a glance
| Population | 76,006 |
| Land area | 7.8 sq mi |
| Density | 9,771 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60201) | $90,545 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60201) | $592,376 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cook 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 | 1,033 | — | 42.5 |
| 2000s | 2,315 | +124% | 36.0 |
| 2010s | 2,360 | +2% | 20.9 |
| 2020s | 2,496 | +6% | 37.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 1,033 to 2,496. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 27.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 37.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Evanston
How many truck accidents are there in Evanston?
Cook County has had 29,495 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 15,477 people and killing 367.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Evanston?
June has the most truck crashes in Cook County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Evanston?
425 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cook County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Evanston compare with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 49.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cook County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Evanston?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.