South St. Paul, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South St. Paul: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South St. Paul 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 has lower values than Minnesota for 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 South St. Paul: SR-55 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of South St. Paul since 2015.
Overview
Dakota County has recorded 1,906 truck crashes since 2015, with 599 people injured and 40 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
South St. Paul had 11 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dakota County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (10.5% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.2% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 11 am–12 pm than at any other hour (8.4%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.1% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of South St. Paul is SR-55, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-494 (3), I-94 (2) and CR-28 Yankee Doodle Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 73 of the truck crashes here, or 3.8%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Their busiest month is September, with 16% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for South St. Paul fleets
- Build extra time into December routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to SR-55 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.
- 30.1% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Minnesota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Dakota County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-55 | 4 |
| I-494 | 3 |
| I-94 | 2 |
| CR-28 Yankee Doodle Rd | 1 |
| CR-38A Maxwell Ave | 1 |
| CR-65 N White Bear Ave | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Blvd | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Rd | 1 |
| Mu-Autumn Dr | 1 |
| SR-3 | 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 |
South St. Paul at a glance
| Population | 20,590 |
| Land area | 5.6 sq mi |
| Density | 3,660 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55075) | $88,386 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55075) | $281,691 |
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 crashes involving a large truck averaged 4.2 a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about South St. Paul
How many truck crashes happen in South St. Paul?
Dakota County has had 1,906 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 599 people and killing 40.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in South St. Paul?
SR-55 had 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of South St. Paul since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in South St. Paul?
The worst month is December: 10.5% of truck crashes in Dakota County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in South St. Paul?
Since 2015, Dakota County has reported 73 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.8% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in South St. Paul compared with Minnesota?
Dakota County records 35.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in South St. Paul?
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.