Duluth, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Duluth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 206 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Duluth compares with Minnesota
Duluth against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Duluth stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Duluth | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 20.1 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 48% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 0.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 100% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.29 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 22% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.7% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 27.2% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.4× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.2% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 9.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 54% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Duluth is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above Minnesota on garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Duluth: 1 in 19 crashes involve a garbage truck (11 since 2015), vs 2.8% across Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 206 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Duluth. They injured 62 people and killed 0.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 21 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (15.5% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.9%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 49.2% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.2% of truck crashes.
27.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Duluth is US-2, with 2 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-10 Martin Rd (1), Ogden Ave (1) and SR-194 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 11 crashes, 5.3% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Route planning tips for Duluth fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to US-2 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- 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 Duluth
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 2 |
| CR-10 Martin Rd | 1 |
| Ogden Ave | 1 |
| SR-194 | 1 |
| SR-35 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Duluth) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 30 |
| Isth 535 | 9 |
| Trinity Rd | 7 |
| Garfield Ave | 5 |
| London Rd | 5 |
| Mesaba Ave | 5 |
| Haines Rd | 4 |
| S 40Th Ave | 4 |
Duluth at a glance
| Population | 87,986 |
| Land area | 71.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,228 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Duluth 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 | 3 | — | 2.5 |
| 2000s | 18 | +439% | 3.1 |
| 2010s | 18 | +1% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 16 | -13% | 2.4 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 16. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. 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 Duluth
How many truck crashes happen in Duluth?
Duluth has had 206 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 62 people and killing 0.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Duluth?
Since 2015, US-2 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Duluth: 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Duluth?
December has the most truck crashes in Duluth, 15.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Duluth?
Garbage trucks were involved in 11 reported crashes in Duluth since 2015 (5.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Duluth compared with Minnesota?
Per 100,000 residents, Duluth has 20.1 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Duluth?
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.