Heron Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Heron Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Heron Lake and Jackson County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Jackson County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0 of 185 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Jackson County compares with Minnesota
Jackson County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jackson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jackson County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 154.9 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 4.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 60% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.36 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 41.7% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.6% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 27% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.1% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 16% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 53.6% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 29.8% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.5× the state |
Jackson County sits below Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and winter months (nov–mar).
Jackson County at a glance: 0 crashes involve a garbage truck (0 since 2015), vs 2.8% across Minnesota.
Overview
Jackson County has recorded 185 truck crashes since 2015, with 63 people injured and 3 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 24 days in fully reported years.
Heron Lake had 12 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Jackson County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.4% of the year) and are lowest in September (1.1%).
November through March accounts for 53.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 3–4 pm, with 10.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 41.7% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Heron Lake happened on SR-62 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Jackson County.
Route planning tips for Heron Lake fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 41.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Jackson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-62 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jackson County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 90 | 62 |
| Mnth 60 | 37 |
| Mnth 86 | 12 |
| Usth 71 | 9 |
| 600Th Ave | 5 |
| 390Th Ave | 2 |
| County Road 9 | 2 |
| Hwy | 2 |
Heron Lake at a glance
| Population | 592 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 477 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56137) | $71,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56137) | $137,526 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jackson 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 | 12 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 14 | +19% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 17 | +18% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 15 | -8% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 12 a year in the 1990s and 15 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Heron Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Heron Lake?
185 truck crashes have been reported in Jackson County since 2015, with 3 deaths and 63 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Heron Lake?
The worst month is March: 12.4% of truck crashes in Jackson County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Heron Lake?
Since 2015, Jackson County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Heron Lake compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 154.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Jackson County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Heron 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.