Sturgeon Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sturgeon Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sturgeon Lake and Carlton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Carlton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 143 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Carlton County compares with Minnesota
Carlton County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Carlton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Carlton County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 23% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.26 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 30% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 18% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 46.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 9% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 31.5% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.7× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 65.4% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 29.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Carlton County sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Minnesota on on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Carlton County: December the month with the most truck crashes: 19.6% of the year's total.
Overview
Police reported 143 crashes involving commercial trucks in Carlton County since 2015: 42 people were injured and 3 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 31 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Sturgeon Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Carlton County as a whole.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 19.6% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (0.0%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 65.4% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (9.1%).
46.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Sturgeon Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: I-35 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 3 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Sturgeon Lake fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- With 46.2% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Carlton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Carlton County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 36 |
| Mnth 210 | 20 |
| Mnth 45 | 8 |
| Mnth 73 | 6 |
| Csah 45 | 4 |
| Mnth 33 | 4 |
| W Co Hwy 61 | 3 |
| Cloquet Ave | 2 |
Sturgeon Lake at a glance
| Population | 468 |
| Land area | 3.8 sq mi |
| Density | 124 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55767) | $78,988 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55767) | $246,499 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Carlton 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 | 2 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 11 | +398% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 12 | +11% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 11 | -9% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 2 to 11. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sturgeon Lake
How common are truck crashes in Sturgeon Lake?
143 truck crashes have been reported in Carlton County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 42 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sturgeon Lake?
The worst month is December: 19.6% of truck crashes in Carlton County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Sturgeon Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3 reported crashes in Carlton County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Sturgeon Lake compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 32.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Carlton County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Sturgeon Lake?
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.