Grand Lake, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Grand Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Grand Lake 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 |
Compared with Minnesota, St. Louis County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 7 days.
Only 12 truck crashes were reported in Grand Lake since 2015; patterns below come from St. Louis County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 14.1% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 5.4%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 52.3% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 9.8% of truck crashes.
34.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Grand Lake happened on SR-194 (1), SR-33 (1) and US-53 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 21 of the truck crashes here, or 3.3%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in December (24%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 5.0, vs 5.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Grand Lake fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in St. Louis County.
- Waste haulers: December is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in St. Louis County.
- Morning starts matter: 29.1% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Minnesota.
- 34.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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) |
|---|---|
| SR-194 | 1 |
| SR-33 | 1 |
| US-53 | 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 |
Grand Lake at a glance
| Population | 2,721 |
| Land area | 66.1 sq mi |
| Density | 41 per sq mi |
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 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 51. 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 Grand Lake
How many truck crashes happen in Grand Lake?
St. Louis County has had 632 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 250 people and killing 32.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Grand Lake?
Truck crashes in St. Louis County peak in January, with 14.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Grand Lake?
21 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in St. Louis County since 2015, 3.3% of all truck crashes.
How does Grand Lake compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
St. Louis County records 27.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Grand Lake?
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.