Moorhead, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Moorhead: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Moorhead and Clay County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Clay County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 418 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Clay County compares with Minnesota
Clay County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Clay County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Clay County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 51.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 72% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 45.1% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.0% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 29.8% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Clay County sits below Minnesota on injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Clay County at a glance: 45.1% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Overview
Since 2015, 418 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Clay County. They injured 142 people and killed 18.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Moorhead had 106 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Clay County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (14.8% of the year) and are lowest in August (4.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 54.9% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 9.3% of truck crashes.
45.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-94 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). It is followed by 12th Ave N (1), 45th St N (1) and 45th St S (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 4 of the truck crashes here, or 1.0%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Moorhead fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-94, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 45.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; 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 Clay County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 5 |
| 12th Ave N | 1 |
| 45th St N | 1 |
| 45th St S | 1 |
| CR-17 | 1 |
| CR-26 90Th Ave N | 1 |
| Sr-Main Avenue | 1 |
| US-75 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Clay County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 192 |
| Usth 10 | 42 |
| 90Th Ave | 20 |
| Usth 75 | 15 |
| 140Th St | 13 |
| 70Th St | 8 |
| 28Th Ave | 7 |
| 160Th Ave | 6 |
Moorhead at a glance
| Population | 45,726 |
| Land area | 22.3 sq mi |
| Density | 2,052 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Clay 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 | 14 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 30 | +116% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 35 | +18% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 36 | +2% | 1.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 36. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Moorhead
How many truck crashes happen in Moorhead?
Since 2015, 418 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Clay County (142 injured, 18 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Moorhead?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Moorhead: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Moorhead?
Truck crashes in Clay County peak in December, with 14.8% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Moorhead?
4 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Clay County since 2015, 1.0% of all truck crashes.
How does Moorhead compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Clay County records 51.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Moorhead?
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.