Great Falls, MT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Great Falls: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Great Falls and Cascade County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cascade County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 268 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cascade County compares with Montana
Cascade County against Montana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cascade County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cascade County | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.7 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 57% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.8 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.28 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 18% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 36.0% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 8% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.5% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.3% | 20.6% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 55.0% | 54.3% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.3% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Compared with Montana, Cascade County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above Montana on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Cascade County: 1 in 65 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.6%, vs 0.9% in Montana.
Overview
Police reported 268 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cascade County since 2015: 74 people were injured and 15 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 16 days.
Only 9 truck crashes were reported in Great Falls since 2015; patterns below come from Cascade County as a whole.
87% of truck crash reports in Cascade County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is April at 4.1%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 55.0% of truck crashes, against 54.3% across Montana.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (10.1%).
Road surface: 36.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Montana: 39.4%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-15 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). After it: Central Ave W (1), Lr- Central Ave W (1) and US-87 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.5% share (Montana: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for Great Falls fleets
- Plan January schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Cascade County.
- Check whether your routes use I-15, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 27.5% of truck crashes here, more than Montana; adjust start times where you can.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Cascade County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-15 | 3 |
| Central Ave W | 1 |
| Lr- Central Ave W | 1 |
| US-87 | 1 |
| US-89 | 1 |
| Us-Hwy 87 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cascade County) |
|---|---|
| Mm 1.9 Us Highway 87E | 2 |
| 23Rd St S & 10Th Ave | 1 |
| 87.5 Eb Us Hwy 87/89E | 1 |
| I-15 Nb Mp 278 | 1 |
| I-15 Sb Mp 254 | 1 |
| Lower River Rd | 1 |
| Mm 5.4 Us Highway 89/Montana 200 | 1 |
| Mm 59.6 Us 89S | 1 |
Great Falls at a glance
| Population | 60,013 |
| Land area | 23.1 sq mi |
| Density | 2,594 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 59401) | $55,299 |
| Median home value (ZIP 59401) | $223,873 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cascade 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 | — | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 21 | — | 0.4 |
| 2010s | 25 | +19% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 20 | -19% | 2.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 21 a year in the 2000s and 20 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Great Falls
How many truck accidents are there in Great Falls?
Cascade County has had 268 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 74 people and killing 15.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Great Falls?
NHTSA data shows I-15 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Great Falls since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Great Falls?
January has the most truck crashes in Cascade County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Great Falls?
Garbage trucks were involved in 4 reported crashes in Cascade County since 2015 (1.5% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Great Falls compared with Montana?
Cascade County records 27.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 64.3 across Montana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Great Falls?
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.