Medford, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Medford: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Medford and Steele County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Steele County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
6 of 387 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Steele County compares with Minnesota
Steele County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Steele County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Steele County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 87.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 2.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 37% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.33 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 11% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 60% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 42.2% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.7× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.9% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 11% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 25.3% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.2% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 1.2× the state |
| After dark | 26.1% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Steele County sits below Minnesota on deaths per 100 crashes, 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.
Steele County at a glance: December the month with the most truck crashes: 18.6% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 387 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Steele County. They injured 120 people and killed 7.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Medford had 28 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Steele County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in December (18.6% of the year) and are lowest in September (4.9%).
November through March accounts for 54.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 9.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 42.2% of truck crashes, compared with 25.6% in Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-35 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (2). After it: CR-1 Cedar Ave (1), CR-17 (1) and CR-19 Glynnview Tr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
6 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Medford fleets
- Review driver schedules for December, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-35, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 42.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Minnesota; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Steele County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 2 |
| CR-1 Cedar Ave | 1 |
| CR-17 | 1 |
| CR-19 Glynnview Tr | 1 |
| CR-7 Lemond Rd | 1 |
| North St | 1 |
| SR-60 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Steele County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 85 |
| Usth 14 | 19 |
| Mineral Springs Rd Ne | 8 |
| W Frontage Rd | 5 |
| Csah 45 | 4 |
| 10Th St Sw | 3 |
| Hoffman Dr | 3 |
| Hoffman Dr Nw | 3 |
Medford at a glance
| Population | 1,362 |
| Land area | 1.2 sq mi |
| Density | 1,141 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55049) | $90,625 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55049) | $243,449 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Steele 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 | 19 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 36 | +93% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 32 | -11% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 34 | +5% | 0.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 19 a year in the 1990s and 34 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.5 a year in 2016–19, 0.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Medford
How common are truck crashes in Medford?
387 truck crashes have been reported in Steele County since 2015, with 7 deaths and 120 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Medford?
Since 2015, I-35 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Medford: 2.
When do most truck crashes happen in Medford?
December has the most truck crashes in Steele County, 18.6% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Medford?
6 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Steele County since 2015, 1.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Medford compare with Minnesota?
Per 100,000 residents, Steele County has 87.4 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Medford?
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.