Balkan, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Balkan: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Balkan and St. Louis County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use St. Louis County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 5.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How St. Louis County compares with Minnesota
St. Louis County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where St. Louis County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | St. Louis County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.0 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.8× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.37 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 34.0% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.1% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.3% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.3% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 15.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
St. Louis County has lower values than Minnesota for crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for St. Louis County: 5.4 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Minnesota: 3.0).
Overview
Police reported 632 crashes involving commercial trucks in St. Louis County since 2015: 250 people were injured and 32 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
With 2 truck crashes reported in Balkan since 2015, this page uses St. Louis County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 14.1% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 52.3% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 34.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Balkan happened on US-169 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
21 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.3% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in December (24% of them).
They recorded 5.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 5.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Balkan fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in St. Louis County.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at December schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 29.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Minnesota.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 34.0% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 St. Louis County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-169 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (St. Louis County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 53 | 90 |
| I-35 | 40 |
| Usth 2 | 26 |
| Usth 169 | 26 |
| Miller Trunk Hwy | 16 |
| Hwy | 11 |
| Mnth 135 | 10 |
| Mnth 73 | 10 |
Balkan at a glance
| Population | 809 |
| Land area | 65.2 sq mi |
| Density | 12 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55719) | $53,647 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55719) | $123,963 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in St. Louis 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 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 58 | +381% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 56 | -2% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 51 | -9% | 2.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12 to 51. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.8 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Balkan
How many truck crashes happen in Balkan?
St. Louis County has had 632 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 250 people and killing 32.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Balkan?
January has the most truck crashes in St. Louis County, 14.1% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Balkan?
Garbage trucks were involved in 21 reported crashes in St. Louis County since 2015 (3.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Balkan compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 27.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in St. Louis County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Balkan?
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.