Litchfield, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Litchfield: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Litchfield and Meeker County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Meeker County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7 of 143 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Meeker County compares with Minnesota
Meeker County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Meeker County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Meeker County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.56 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.8% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.0% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 7% below the state |
| After dark | 14.8% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 27% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Meeker County is lower on on snow, slush or ice, in rain, sleet or snow and winter months (nov–mar). It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Meeker County: 1 in 21 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 4.7%, vs 2.8% in Minnesota.
Overview
Meeker County has recorded 143 truck crashes since 2015, with 79 people injured and 5 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 31 days.
Litchfield had 51 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Meeker County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (14.0% of the year) and are lowest in April (3.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.0% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
By time of day, 11 am–12 pm stands out with 11.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 18.8% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Litchfield since 2015: SR-22 (1), SR-4 (1) and US-12 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 4.9%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Litchfield fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Meeker County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-22 | 1 |
| SR-4 | 1 |
| US-12 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Meeker County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 12 | 30 |
| Mnth 15 | 18 |
| Sibley Ave | 9 |
| Depot St | 8 |
| Mnth 22 | 8 |
| Mnth 24 | 7 |
| Hwy | 5 |
| Mnth 4 | 5 |
Litchfield at a glance
| Population | 6,515 |
| Land area | 4.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,446 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55355) | $63,295 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55355) | $224,576 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Meeker 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 | — | 1.0 |
| 2000s | 8 | +58% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 10 | +17% | 0.6 |
| 2020s | 13 | +33% | 0.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 13. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 0.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Litchfield
How common are truck crashes in Litchfield?
Meeker County has had 143 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 79 people and killing 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Litchfield?
The worst month is October: 14.0% of truck crashes in Meeker County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Litchfield?
Garbage trucks were involved in 7 reported crashes in Meeker County since 2015 (4.9% of truck crashes).
How does Litchfield compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Meeker County has 49.5 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Litchfield?
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.