Willow Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Willow Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Willow Lake and Redwood County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Redwood County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 134 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Redwood County compares with Minnesota
Redwood County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Redwood County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Redwood County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 76.9 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 2.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.59 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.8% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 72% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 21% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.9% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 22% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.3% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 51% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 34.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 26% below the state |
| After dark | 13.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 35% below the state |
Redwood County has lower values than Minnesota for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Redwood County: 7.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.0 in Minnesota.
Overview
Redwood County has recorded 134 truck crashes since 2015, with 77 people injured and 11 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 31 days in fully reported years.
Only 7 truck crashes were reported in Willow Lake since 2015; patterns below come from Redwood County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 4.5%.
November through March accounts for 34.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
By time of day, 3–4 pm stands out with 13.4% of truck crashes.
20.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Willow Lake since 2015 were spread across roads: US-71 (2), CR-4 (1) and SR-68 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.5%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Willow Lake fleets
- Build extra time into October 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 Redwood County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-71 | 2 |
| CR-4 | 1 |
| SR-68 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Redwood County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 19 | 26 |
| Usth 71 | 24 |
| Mnth 68 | 9 |
| Hwy | 8 |
| Usth 14 | 7 |
| Csah 6 | 5 |
| Csah 2 | 4 |
| Csah 4 | 4 |
Willow Lake at a glance
| Population | 207 |
| Land area | 35.8 sq mi |
| Density | 6 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56294) | $82,083 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Redwood 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 | 7 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 8 | +18% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 11 | +38% | 0.8 |
| 2020s | 12 | +11% | 0.6 |
In the 1990s about 7 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 12. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Willow Lake
How many truck accidents are there in Willow Lake?
134 truck crashes have been reported in Redwood County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 77 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Willow Lake?
Truck crashes in Redwood County peak in October, with 12.7% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Willow Lake?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Redwood County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Willow Lake compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 76.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Redwood County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Willow Lake?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.