Madelia, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Madelia: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Madelia and Watonwan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Watonwan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 155 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Watonwan County compares with Minnesota
Watonwan County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Watonwan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Watonwan County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 118.5 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 3.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 30% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.51 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 51% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.3% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.7% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 25% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.9% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.5% | 20.3% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Minnesota, Watonwan County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Watonwan County: 1 in 73 garbage-truck share of crashes is 1.4%, against 2.8% for Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 155 crashes involving commercial trucks in Watonwan County since 2015: 77 people were injured and 4 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 28 days in fully reported years.
Only 35 truck crashes were reported in Madelia since 2015; patterns below come from Watonwan County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (13.5% of the year) and are lowest in July (3.9%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 45.9% of truck crashes, against 46.2% across Minnesota.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 11.6% of truck crashes.
25.3% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Madelia since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-60 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for Madelia fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Watonwan County.
- 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 Watonwan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-60 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Watonwan County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 60 | 56 |
| Mnth 15 | 26 |
| Hwy | 8 |
| Mnth 4 | 4 |
| 10Th St | 3 |
| 7Th Ave | 3 |
| Mnth 30 | 3 |
| 250Th St | 2 |
Madelia at a glance
| Population | 2,430 |
| Land area | 1.5 sq mi |
| Density | 1,607 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56062) | $76,713 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56062) | $183,059 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Watonwan 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 | 3 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 7 | +158% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 11 | +49% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 14 | +29% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 3 to 14. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.0 a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Madelia
How common are truck crashes in Madelia?
Watonwan County has had 155 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 77 people and killing 4.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Madelia?
The worst month is March: 13.5% of truck crashes in Watonwan County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Madelia?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Watonwan County since 2015 (1.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Madelia compared with Minnesota?
Per 100,000 residents, Watonwan County has 118.5 truck crashes a year; Minnesota has 39.0.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Madelia?
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.