Buffalo, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buffalo: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buffalo and Cass County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cass County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 914 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cass County compares with North Dakota
Cass County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cass County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cass County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 38.9 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 47% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 20% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.25 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 24% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.9× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 38.5% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.0% | 22.7% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.4% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 52.5% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 22.7% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 8% below the state |
Compared with North Dakota, Cass County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above North Dakota on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Cass County: 1 in 57 garbage-truck share of crashes is 1.8%, against 0.9% for North Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 914 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cass County since 2015: 234 people were injured and 29 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 5 days.
Buffalo had 3 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Cass County numbers.
36% of truck crash reports in Cass County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 12.6% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (5.3%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 52.5% of truck crashes, vs 47.2% for North Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 4–5 pm than at any other hour (8.5%).
Road surface: 38.5% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Buffalo happened on I-94 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
15 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for Buffalo fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 38.5% of truck crashes here, more than North Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cass County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-94 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cass County) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 21 |
| I-94 | 17 |
| 32Nd Ave Sw | 11 |
| 45Th St | 10 |
| 12Th Ave | 8 |
| 7Th Ave | 7 |
| SR-18 | 6 |
| SR-294 | 5 |
Buffalo at a glance
| Population | 189 |
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Density | 393 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58011) | $99,853 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58011) | $261,899 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cass 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 | 31 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 17 | -45% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 63 | +269% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 86 | +35% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 31 a year in the 1990s and 86 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buffalo
How many truck crashes happen in Buffalo?
Since 2015, 914 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Cass County (234 injured, 29 killed).
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Buffalo?
The worst month is January: 12.6% of truck crashes in Cass County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Buffalo?
Garbage trucks were involved in 15 reported crashes in Cass County since 2015 (1.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Buffalo compared with North Dakota?
The yearly rate is 38.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cass County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Buffalo?
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.