Elk Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elk Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elk Lake and Grant County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Grant County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 112 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Grant County compares with Minnesota
Grant County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Grant County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Grant County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 162.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 4.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.44 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 22% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 30.3% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Grant County has lower values than Minnesota for garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Grant County: 0 garbage-truck share of crashes is 0.0%, against 2.8% for Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 112 crashes involving commercial trucks in Grant County since 2015: 48 people were injured and 4 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 37 days.
With 3 truck crashes reported in Elk Lake since 2015, this page uses Grant County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
April has the most truck crashes, 14.3% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (2.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 45.9% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
28.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Elk Lake since 2015: SR-27 (2), SR-79 (1) and US-59 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
No crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Grant County since 2015.
Route planning tips for Elk Lake fleets
- Build extra time into April routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 28.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Grant County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-27 | 2 |
| SR-79 | 1 |
| US-59 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Grant County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 52 |
| Mnth 27 | 7 |
| Usth 59 | 6 |
| Mnth 54 | 4 |
| Mnth 9 | 4 |
| Csah 1 | 2 |
| Csah 2 | 2 |
| Division St | 2 |
Elk Lake at a glance
| Population | 280 |
| Land area | 32.2 sq mi |
| Density | 9 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56311) | $74,583 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56311) | $197,740 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Grant 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 | 3 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 7 | +114% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 8 | +27% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 10 | +22% | 0.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 10 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elk Lake
How common are truck crashes in Elk Lake?
Grant County has had 112 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 48 people and killing 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Elk Lake?
April has the most truck crashes in Grant County, 14.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Elk Lake?
Garbage trucks were involved in 0 reported crashes in Grant County since 2015 (0.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Elk Lake compare with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 162.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Grant County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Elk Lake?
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.