West St. Paul, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in West St. Paul: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in West 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 sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
Dakota County at a glance: September is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 16% of them.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,906 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dakota County. They injured 599 people and killed 40.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Only 5 truck crashes were reported in West St. Paul since 2015; patterns below come from Dakota County as a whole.
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%).
20.1% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of West St. Paul happened on I-494 (3), SR-55 (3), CR-152 Cedar Ave S (1), CR-28 Yankee Doodle Rd (1) and CR-36 University Ave Se (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 73 crashes, 3.8% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in September (16% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 0.0 deaths compared with 2.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for West St. Paul fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most 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.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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-494 | 3 |
| SR-55 | 3 |
| CR-152 Cedar Ave S | 1 |
| CR-28 Yankee Doodle Rd | 1 |
| CR-36 University Ave Se | 1 |
| CR-38A Maxwell Ave | 1 |
| CR-46 Cleveland Ave N | 1 |
| CR-53 E 66Th St | 1 |
| CR-65 N White Bear Ave | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Blvd | 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 |
West St. Paul at a glance
| Population | 21,920 |
| Land area | 4.9 sq mi |
| Density | 4,466 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55118) | $87,340 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55118) | $353,223 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 29 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 152. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 4.2 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about West St. Paul
How many truck crashes happen in West St. Paul?
Since 2015, 1,906 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dakota County (599 injured, 40 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in West St. Paul?
December has the most truck crashes in Dakota County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in West St. Paul?
Garbage trucks were involved in 73 reported crashes in Dakota County since 2015 (3.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in West St. Paul compared with Minnesota?
Per 100,000 residents, Dakota County has 35.4 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in West St. Paul?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.