Balsam Township, Itasca County, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Balsam Township, Itasca County: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Balsam Township, Itasca County and Itasca County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Itasca County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 169 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Itasca County compares with Minnesota
Itasca County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Itasca County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Itasca County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.5% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Itasca County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It runs above Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Itasca County: 8.6 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.0 across Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 169 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Itasca County. They injured 85 people and killed 14.
That averages about one truck crash every 25 days in fully reported years.
Balsam Township, Itasca County had 5 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Itasca County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 16.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 2.4%.
November through March accounts for 43.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
By time of day, 12–1 pm stands out with 11.8% of truck crashes.
28.4% 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 Balsam happened on CR-57 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 5 crashes, 3.0% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Balsam Township, Itasca County fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 28.4% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Itasca County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-57 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Itasca County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 2 | 36 |
| Usth 169 | 23 |
| Hwy | 9 |
| Mnth 38 | 6 |
| Mnth 6 | 6 |
| 4Th St Ne | 5 |
| Mnth 46 | 5 |
| 4Th St Nw | 4 |
Balsam Township, Itasca County at a glance
| Population | 584 |
| Land area | 72.5 sq mi |
| Density | 8 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55709) | $75,652 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55709) | $225,727 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Itasca 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 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +471% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 16 | +3% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 14 | -14% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 14 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Balsam Township, Itasca County
How many truck crashes happen in Balsam Township, Itasca County?
169 truck crashes have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 85 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Balsam Township, Itasca County?
Truck crashes in Itasca County peak in January, with 16.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Balsam Township, Itasca County?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Balsam Township, Itasca County compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 32.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Itasca County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Balsam Township, Itasca 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.