Lake Crystal, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Lake Crystal: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Lake Crystal and Blue Earth County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Blue Earth County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 358 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Blue Earth County compares with Minnesota
Blue Earth County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Blue Earth County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 42.8 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 25% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 19.8% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 22% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.5% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 13% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 17.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Blue Earth County is lower on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Lake Crystal: US-169 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Crystal since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 358 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Blue Earth County. They injured 125 people and killed 15.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
With 7 truck crashes reported in Lake Crystal since 2015, this page uses Blue Earth County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (12.0% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.2%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.1% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 12.0% of truck crashes.
19.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-169 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). After it: SR-60 (2), CR-50 535Th Ave (1) and US-14 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 2.0%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Lake Crystal fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-169, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.1% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; adjust start times where you can.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Blue Earth County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-169 | 3 |
| SR-60 | 2 |
| CR-50 535Th Ave | 1 |
| US-14 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Blue Earth County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 14 | 47 |
| Usth 169 | 45 |
| Mnth 60 | 29 |
| Mnth 22 | 25 |
| Hwy | 10 |
| Mnth 30 | 9 |
| 3Rd Ave | 8 |
| N Riverfront Dr | 7 |
Lake Crystal at a glance
| Population | 2,485 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,457 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56055) | $90,987 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56055) | $226,202 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Blue Earth 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 | 8 | — | 1.3 |
| 2000s | 23 | +191% | 1.2 |
| 2010s | 30 | +27% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 27 | -8% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 8 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 27. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Lake Crystal
How many truck accidents are there in Lake Crystal?
Blue Earth County has had 358 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 125 people and killing 15.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Lake Crystal?
Since 2015, US-169 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Lake Crystal: 3.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake Crystal?
December has the most truck crashes in Blue Earth County, 12.0% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Lake Crystal?
7 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Blue Earth County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Lake Crystal compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 42.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Blue Earth County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Lake Crystal?
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.