Houston County, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Houston County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 64 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Houston County compares with Minnesota
Houston County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Houston County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Houston County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 30.7 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 21% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 43% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.8% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.8% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.5% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 24% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 11.3% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Houston County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes.
Houston County at a glance: March 17.2% of truck crashes happen in March, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 64 crashes involving commercial trucks in Houston County since 2015: 23 people were injured and 4 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 65 days.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 17.2% of the yearly total, while January has the fewest (3.1%).
November through March accounts for 46.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 11 am–12 pm, with 14.1% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck in Houston County happened on CR-9 (1), SR-16 (1), SR-44 (1) and Us-Usth 61 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
1 crash involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Houston County fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Houston County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Houston County) |
|---|---|
| CR-9 | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
| SR-44 | 1 |
| Us-Usth 61 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Houston County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 44 | 12 |
| Usth 61 | 5 |
| Mnth 16 | 4 |
| Mnth 26 | 4 |
| Mnth 76 | 3 |
| Main St | 3 |
| Csah 3 | 2 |
| Front St | 2 |
Houston County at a glance
| Population | 18,352 |
| Land area | 552.1 sq mi |
| Density | 33 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $79,466 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Houston 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 | 5 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 6 | +5% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 6 | +16% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 5 | -24% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 5. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Houston County
ZIP codes in Houston County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Houston County
How common are truck crashes in Houston County?
Since 2015, 64 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Houston County (23 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Houston County?
March has the most truck crashes in Houston County, 17.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Houston County?
Since 2015, Houston County has reported 1 garbage-truck crash, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Houston County compare with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 30.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Houston County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Houston County?
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.