Empire, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Empire: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Empire and Dakota County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dakota County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Dakota County compares with Minnesota
Dakota County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dakota County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dakota County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 35.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 9% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 27% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.29 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 22% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.1% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 21% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 17.8% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.7% | 20.3% | 24.8% | same |
Dakota County sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Minnesota on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Empire: US-52 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Empire.
Overview
Police reported 1,906 crashes involving commercial trucks in Dakota County since 2015: 599 people were injured and 40 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 31 truck crashes reported in Empire since 2015, this page uses Dakota County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.7%).
November through March accounts for 44.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 8.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 20.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Empire is US-52, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by CR-46 (2), CR-31 Pilot Knob Rd (1) and CR-47 Northfield Boulevard (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 73 crashes, 3.8% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Their busiest month is September, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Empire fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along US-52; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Dakota County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.1% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Dakota County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 3 |
| CR-46 | 2 |
| CR-31 Pilot Knob Rd | 1 |
| CR-47 Northfield Boulevard | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Blvd | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Rd | 1 |
| I-35 | 1 |
| I-35E | 1 |
| SR-50 | 1 |
| SR-55 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dakota County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 494 | 135 |
| Usth 52 | 109 |
| I-35 | 76 |
| Mnth 13 | 53 |
| Mnth 55 | 49 |
| Coates Blvd | 35 |
| Cedar Ave | 31 |
| 160Th St | 30 |
Empire at a glance
| Population | 3,068 |
| Land area | 30.5 sq mi |
| Density | 100 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55068) | $127,798 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55068) | $397,629 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dakota 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 | 29 | — | 3.1 |
| 2000s | 144 | +399% | 2.9 |
| 2010s | 158 | +10% | 2.5 |
| 2020s | 152 | -4% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 29 to 152. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 4.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Empire
How many truck accidents are there in Empire?
1,906 truck crashes have been reported in Dakota County since 2015, with 40 deaths and 599 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Empire?
Since 2015, US-52 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Empire: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Empire?
The worst month is December: 10.5% of truck crashes in Dakota County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Empire?
Since 2015, Dakota County has reported 73 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.8% of its truck crashes.
How does Empire compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 35.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Dakota County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Empire?
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.