Crystal, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Crystal: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Crystal and Hennepin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hennepin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Hennepin County compares with Minnesota
Hennepin County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hennepin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hennepin County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.7 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 16% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 67% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.31 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 16% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.9% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 16.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 36% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.9% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.9% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.2% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.1% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Hennepin County sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share.
The headline for Hennepin County: 1.0 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.0 in Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 4,851 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Hennepin County. They injured 1,545 people and killed 52.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
With 37 truck crashes reported in Crystal since 2015, this page uses Hennepin County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (9.7% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 42.2% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (8.6%).
16.4% 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 Crystal happened on SR-47 (3), US-169 (3), Lyndale Ave N (2), SR-55 (2) and 12th St N (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
187 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.9% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Their busiest month is December, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.7 deaths compared with 1.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Crystal fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Hennepin County.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Hennepin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-47 | 3 |
| US-169 | 3 |
| Lyndale Ave N | 2 |
| SR-55 | 2 |
| 12th St N | 1 |
| 72nd Ave Ne | 1 |
| Alleyway | 1 |
| CR-1 | 1 |
| CR-10 | 1 |
| CR-102 Douglas Drive | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hennepin County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 430 |
| Isth 494 | 263 |
| Usth 169 | 160 |
| Csah 81 | 68 |
| Mnth 55 | 55 |
| Mnth 62 | 45 |
| Washington Ave | 44 |
| Mnth 100 | 42 |
Crystal at a glance
| Population | 22,082 |
| Land area | 5.8 sq mi |
| Density | 3,816 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55429) | $72,253 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55429) | $279,250 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hennepin 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 | 103 | — | 5.6 |
| 2000s | 435 | +324% | 4.9 |
| 2010s | 435 | +0% | 4.6 |
| 2020s | 373 | -14% | 4.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 103 a year in the 1990s and 373 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 5.2 a year in 2016–19 and 4.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Crystal
How common are truck crashes in Crystal?
Hennepin County has had 4,851 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,545 people and killing 52.
When do most truck crashes happen in Crystal?
February has the most truck crashes in Hennepin County, 9.7% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Crystal?
187 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Hennepin County since 2015, 3.9% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Crystal compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 32.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Hennepin County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Crystal?
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.