Eureka, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Eureka: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Eureka 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).
Eureka at a glance: I-35 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Eureka.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,906 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dakota County. They injured 599 people and killed 40.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 7 truck crashes were reported in Eureka since 2015; patterns below come from Dakota County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is December with 10.5% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 6.7%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.2% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 8.4% of truck crashes.
20.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Eureka is I-35, with 3 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by SR-19 (2), CR-21 Eagle Creek Ave (1) and CR-23 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 73 crashes, 3.8% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in September (16%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Eureka fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Dakota County.
- Look at alternatives to I-35 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at September schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 30.1% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; adjust start times where you can.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Dakota County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 3 |
| SR-19 | 2 |
| CR-21 Eagle Creek Ave | 1 |
| CR-23 | 1 |
| CR-46 | 1 |
| CR-47 | 1 |
| CR-86 30Th St W | 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 |
Eureka at a glance
| Population | 1,355 |
| Land area | 34.2 sq mi |
| Density | 40 per sq mi |
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. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.2 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Eureka
How many truck accidents are there in Eureka?
Since 2015, 1,906 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dakota County (599 injured, 40 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Eureka?
Since 2015, I-35 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Eureka: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Eureka?
Truck crashes in Dakota County peak in December, with 10.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Eureka?
73 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dakota County since 2015, 3.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Eureka compare with Minnesota?
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 Eureka?
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.