Black Wolf, KS truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Black Wolf: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Black Wolf and Ellsworth County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ellsworth County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 170 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ellsworth County compares with Kansas
Ellsworth County against Kansas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ellsworth County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ellsworth County | Kansas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 237.5 | 61.4 | 49.7 | 3.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 13.9 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 13% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.6% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 10.9% | 23.1% | 23.7% | 53% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 24.9% | 15.2% | 13.8% | 1.6× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.1% | 42.2% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 27.3% | 23.2% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Ellsworth County has lower values than Kansas for garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Kansas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Ellsworth County: 13.9 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 4.8 across Kansas.
Overview
Since 2015, 170 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Ellsworth County. They injured 69 people and killed 23.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 24 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Black Wolf since 2015, this page uses Ellsworth County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
74% of truck crash reports in Ellsworth County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (17.6% of the year) and are lowest in February (4.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.1% of truck crashes, against 42.2% across Kansas.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 20.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Kansas: 9.3%).
Where crashes happen
SR-156 leads within 10 miles of Black Wolf with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by I-70 (1) and SR-14 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.8% share (Kansas: 2.1%).
Route planning tips for Black Wolf fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ellsworth County.
- Check whether your routes use SR-156, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- With 20.6% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Kansas), plan winter equipment 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 Ellsworth County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-156 | 3 |
| I-70 | 1 |
| SR-14 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ellsworth County) |
|---|---|
| I-070 | 71 |
| I-70 | 15 |
| 10Th Road | 1 |
| 11Th | 1 |
| 15Th | 1 |
| 18Th Road | 1 |
| 3Rd | 1 |
| Douglas | 1 |
Black Wolf at a glance
| Population | 83 |
| Land area | 36.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 67439) | $73,409 |
| Median home value (ZIP 67439) | $157,628 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ellsworth 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 | 11 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 17 | +59% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 16 | -5% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 15 | -9% | 0.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 11 a year in the 1990s and 15 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Black Wolf
How common are truck crashes in Black Wolf?
Ellsworth County has had 170 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 69 people and killing 23.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Black Wolf?
NHTSA data shows SR-156 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Black Wolf since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Black Wolf?
The worst month is January: 17.6% of truck crashes in Ellsworth County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Black Wolf?
Since 2015, Ellsworth County has reported 3 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.8% of its truck crashes.
How does Black Wolf compare with Kansas for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Ellsworth County has 237.5 truck crashes a year; Kansas has 61.4.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Black Wolf?
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.