Galesburg, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Galesburg: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Galesburg and Knox County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Knox County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 346 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Knox County compares with Illinois
Knox County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Knox County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Knox County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 61.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.4× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.43 | 0.50 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.5% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.0% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 2.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.9% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.1% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Knox County sits below Illinois on injuries per crash. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Knox County at a glance: 19.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.0% in Illinois.
Overview
Since 2015, 346 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Knox County. They injured 148 people and killed 12.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
With 129 truck crashes reported in Galesburg since 2015, this page uses Knox County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 11.3% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.6% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
19.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Where crashes happen
I-74 leads within 10 miles of Galesburg with 2 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-41 (1), US-150 (1) and US-34 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 1.4%, compared with 1.4% in Illinois.
Route planning tips for Galesburg fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Knox County.
- Look at alternatives to I-74 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 19.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Illinois; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Knox County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 2 |
| SR-41 | 1 |
| US-150 | 1 |
| US-34 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Knox County) |
|---|---|
| I-74 | 144 |
| US-34 | 20 |
| Henderson St | 4 |
| Illinois Route 97 | 4 |
| Knox Highway 10 | 4 |
| Knox Highway 12 | 4 |
| N Henderson St | 4 |
| S Linwood Rd | 3 |
Galesburg at a glance
| Population | 29,289 |
| Land area | 17.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1,648 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 61401) | $50,546 |
| Median home value (ZIP 61401) | $101,286 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Knox 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 | 16 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 18 | +14% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 26 | +46% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 30 | +13% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 16 to 30. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Galesburg
How many truck crashes happen in Galesburg?
Since 2015, 346 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Knox County (148 injured, 12 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Galesburg?
Since 2015, I-74 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Galesburg: 2.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Galesburg?
The worst month is January: 11.3% of truck crashes in Knox County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Galesburg?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Knox County since 2015, 1.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Galesburg compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
Knox County records 61.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Galesburg?
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.