Van Buren, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Van Buren: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Van Buren 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
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
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. It runs above Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in St. Louis County: 5.4 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.0 in Minnesota.
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.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Van Buren 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.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 34.0% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Van Buren since 2015.
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 Van Buren fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in St. Louis County.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in December; review collection routes for that month.
- 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.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
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 |
Van Buren at a glance
| Population | 167 |
| Land area | 35.5 sq mi |
| Density | 5 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55736) | $65,179 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55736) | $161,920 |
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 Van Buren
How many truck crashes happen in Van Buren?
St. Louis County has had 632 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 250 people and killing 32.
When do most truck crashes happen in Van Buren?
Truck crashes in St. Louis County peak in January, with 14.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Van Buren?
21 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in St. Louis County since 2015, 3.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Van Buren compare with Minnesota?
St. Louis County records 27.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Van Buren?
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.