Harvard, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Harvard: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Harvard and McHenry County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use McHenry County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.9 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How McHenry County compares with Illinois
McHenry County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where McHenry County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | McHenry County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.7 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 47% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.3% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 12.0% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.8% | 24.3% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.3% | 17.9% | 13.8% | 9% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 16.4% | 24.1% | 24.8% | 32% below the state |
McHenry County sits below Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
McHenry County at a glance: 1 in 30 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 3.3%, vs 1.4% in Illinois.
Overview
McHenry County has recorded 1,104 truck crashes since 2015, with 530 people injured and 30 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
With 23 truck crashes reported in Harvard since 2015, this page uses McHenry County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 42.0% across Illinois.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (8.3%).
12.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.0% across Illinois.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Harvard since 2015: CR-K (2), SR-23 (2), CR-B (1) and US-14 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
36 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Their busiest month is January, with 17% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.9 deaths compared with 2.9 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Harvard fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: January is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in McHenry County.
- Morning starts matter: 27.8% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Illinois.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 12.0% of truck crashes here, more than Illinois; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 McHenry County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-K | 2 |
| SR-23 | 2 |
| CR-B | 1 |
| US-14 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (McHenry County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 92 |
| US-14 | 48 |
| Il-31 | 47 |
| Il-176 | 40 |
| Il-47 | 24 |
| Algonquin Rd | 19 |
| US-20 | 19 |
| Illinois Route 47 | 16 |
Harvard at a glance
| Population | 9,408 |
| Land area | 8.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,123 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60033) | $68,633 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60033) | $206,186 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in McHenry 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 | 52 | — | 3.8 |
| 2000s | 80 | +54% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 88 | +10% | 1.4 |
| 2020s | 92 | +4% | 1.8 |
In the 1990s about 52 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 92. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Harvard
How many truck accidents are there in Harvard?
McHenry County has had 1,104 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 530 people and killing 30.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Harvard?
Truck crashes in McHenry County peak in July, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Harvard?
36 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in McHenry County since 2015, 3.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Harvard compare with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 29.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in McHenry County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Harvard?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.