Cottage Grove, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cottage Grove: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cottage Grove and Washington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Washington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
7.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.7 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Washington County compares with Minnesota
Washington County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Washington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Washington County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 25% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 43% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.6% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 28.5% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.2% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 49.3% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.2% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Washington County sits below Minnesota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for Cottage Grove: SR-55 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Cottage Grove: 3 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 976 crashes involving commercial trucks in Washington County since 2015: 288 people were injured and 17 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Cottage Grove had 79 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Washington County numbers.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 12.1% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (4.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 49.3% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 9.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 25.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-55 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). It is followed by I-494 (2), I-94 (2) and CR-38A Maxwell Ave (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
29 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.0% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Their busiest month is May, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 7.1, vs 1.7 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Cottage Grove fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use SR-55, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 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 Washington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-55 | 3 |
| I-494 | 2 |
| I-94 | 2 |
| CR-38A Maxwell Ave | 1 |
| CR-46 | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Blvd | 1 |
| CR-71 Rich Valley Rd | 1 |
| CR-F | 1 |
| Mu-Autumn Dr | 1 |
| US-10 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Washington County) |
|---|---|
| Isth 94 | 176 |
| Isth 694 | 98 |
| Isth 494 | 55 |
| Usth 61 | 49 |
| Mnth 36 | 28 |
| Manning Ave | 16 |
| Saint Croix Tr | 12 |
| Hwy | 11 |
Cottage Grove at a glance
| Population | 42,760 |
| Land area | 33.6 sq mi |
| Density | 1,271 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 55016) | $120,715 |
| Median home value (ZIP 55016) | $378,171 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Washington 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 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 74 | +534% | 1.3 |
| 2010s | 82 | +11% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 79 | -4% | 1.6 |
In the 1990s about 12 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 79. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 2.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cottage Grove
How many truck accidents are there in Cottage Grove?
Washington County has had 976 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 288 people and killing 17.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Cottage Grove?
SR-55 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cottage Grove since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Cottage Grove?
Truck crashes in Washington County peak in January, with 12.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Cottage Grove?
29 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Washington County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Cottage Grove compared with Minnesota?
Per 100,000 residents, Washington County has 29.4 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cottage Grove?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.