Melrose, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Melrose: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Melrose and Stearns County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Stearns County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.0 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Stearns County compares with Minnesota
Stearns County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Stearns County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Stearns County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 56.2 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.32 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 14% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 30% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 34.0% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.3× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.8% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 50.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 28.8% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.4× the state |
Stearns County has lower values than Minnesota for injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Melrose: I-94 5 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Melrose.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,072 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Stearns County. They injured 349 people and killed 30.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
Melrose had 59 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Stearns County numbers.
When crashes happen
December has the most truck crashes, 11.4% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (5.5%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 50.9% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (8.5%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 34.0% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-94 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). After it: US-71 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 2.0% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in June (14% of them).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.0 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Melrose fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-94, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: June is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Stearns County.
- 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
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Stearns County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 5 |
| US-71 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Stearns County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 415 |
| Mnth 23 | 68 |
| Mnth 15 | 44 |
| Division St | 33 |
| Csah 75 | 26 |
| Hwy | 18 |
| Usth 71 | 16 |
| Csah 2 | 15 |
Melrose at a glance
| Population | 3,911 |
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,232 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56352) | $73,721 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56352) | $228,811 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Stearns 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 | 18 | — | 2.6 |
| 2000s | 71 | +284% | 2.2 |
| 2010s | 88 | +25% | 1.9 |
| 2020s | 93 | +5% | 3.0 |
In the 1990s about 18 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 93. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.8 a year in 2016–19, 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Melrose
How many truck crashes happen in Melrose?
Since 2015, 1,072 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Stearns County (349 injured, 30 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Melrose?
Since 2015, I-94 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Melrose: 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Melrose?
The worst month is December: 11.4% of truck crashes in Stearns County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Melrose?
21 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Stearns County since 2015, 2.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Melrose compared with Minnesota?
The yearly rate is 56.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Stearns County, vs 39.0 for Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Melrose?
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.