Elk River, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Elk River: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Elk River and Sherburne County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sherburne County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Sherburne County compares with Minnesota
Sherburne County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sherburne County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sherburne County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 33.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 15% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.9% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 18.1% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 29% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 34.6% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.9% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 22% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.2% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 13% below the state |
| After dark | 14.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Sherburne County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Sherburne County: 1 in 17 crashes involve a garbage truck (23 since 2015), vs 2.8% across Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 398 crashes involving commercial trucks in Sherburne County since 2015: 169 people were injured and 14 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
Elk River had 136 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Sherburne County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in November (12.1% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.5%).
November through March accounts for 40.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 10.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 18.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
I-94 leads within 10 miles of Elk River with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come SR-47 (2), US-169 (2) and CR-14 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 23 of the truck crashes here, or 5.8%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Their busiest month is November, with 30% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.5 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Elk River fleets
- Plan November schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Sherburne County.
- Look at alternatives to I-94 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: November is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Sherburne County.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 34.6% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; adjust start times where you can.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Sherburne County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 3 |
| SR-47 | 2 |
| US-169 | 2 |
| CR-14 | 1 |
| CR-39 | 1 |
| CR-73 | 1 |
| Mu-Jarvis St Nw | 1 |
| US-10 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sherburne County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 10 | 119 |
| Usth 169 | 61 |
| Hwy | 8 |
| 165Th Ave Se | 8 |
| Mnth 24 | 8 |
| 157Th St Se | 4 |
| 205Th Ave Nw | 4 |
| Csah 14 | 4 |
Elk River at a glance
| Population | 27,606 |
| Land area | 42.3 sq mi |
| Density | 652 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55330) | $115,761 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55330) | $383,846 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sherburne 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 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 30 | +481% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 30 | +0% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 38 | +27% | 1.8 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 38. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Elk River
How many truck crashes happen in Elk River?
398 truck crashes have been reported in Sherburne County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 169 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Elk River?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Elk River: 3.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Elk River?
The worst month is November: 12.1% of truck crashes in Sherburne County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Elk River?
Garbage trucks were involved in 23 reported crashes in Sherburne County since 2015 (5.8% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Elk River compared with Minnesota?
Sherburne County records 33.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Elk River?
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.