Ely, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ely: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ely and Lake County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Lake County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 48 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Lake County compares with Minnesota
Lake County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Lake County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Lake County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.39 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 45.5% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.8× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.7% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 34.1% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 65.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 18.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 10% below the state |
Lake County has lower values than Minnesota for morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark. It runs above Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Lake County: December worst month: 20.8% of truck crashes, vs 8.3% in an average month.
Overview
Police reported 48 crashes involving commercial trucks in Lake County since 2015: 19 people were injured and 2 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 91 days in fully reported years.
Ely had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Lake County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 20.8% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (0.0%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 65.9% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 14.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 45.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
No fatal crash involving a large truck has a recorded location within 10 miles of Ely since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 4.2%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Ely fleets
- Plan December schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Lake County.
- With 45.5% of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (above Minnesota), plan winter equipment checks early.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Lake County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Lake County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 61 | 18 |
| 11Th St | 2 |
| Csah 2 | 2 |
| Hwy | 2 |
| National Forest Hwy 7 | 2 |
| National Forest Hwy 9 | 2 |
| SR-2 | 2 |
| 23Rd Ave | 1 |
Ely at a glance
| Population | 3,214 |
| Land area | 2.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,099 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55796) | $52,344 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55796) | $97,661 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Lake 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 | 2 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 6 | +275% | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 4 | -30% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 4 | -11% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 2 a year in the 1990s and 4 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ely
How many truck crashes happen in Ely?
Since 2015, 48 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Lake County (19 injured, 2 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Ely?
The worst month is December: 20.8% of truck crashes in Lake County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ely?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Lake County since 2015, 4.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ely compare with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 37.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Lake County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Ely?
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.