St. James, MN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. James: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. James 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. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Watonwan County: 1 in 73 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.4%, vs 2.8% in Minnesota.
Overview
Watonwan County has recorded 155 truck crashes since 2015, with 77 people injured and 4 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 28 days.
With 24 truck crashes reported in St. James since 2015, this page uses Watonwan County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 13.5% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (3.9%).
November through March accounts for 45.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, 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
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of St. James since 2015: SR-30 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
2 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (Minnesota: 2.8%).
Route planning tips for St. James fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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-30 | 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 |
St. James at a glance
| Population | 4,750 |
| Land area | 2.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,943 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 56081) | $67,337 |
| Median home value (ZIP 56081) | $168,427 |
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 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.0 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. James
How many truck crashes happen in St. James?
Since 2015, 155 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Watonwan County (77 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in St. James?
Truck crashes in Watonwan County peak in March, with 13.5% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in St. James?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Watonwan County since 2015, 1.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in St. James compare with Minnesota?
Watonwan County records 118.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in St. James?
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.