Thompson, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Thompson: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Thompson and Grand Forks County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Grand Forks County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8 of 359 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Grand Forks County compares with North Dakota
Grand Forks County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Grand Forks County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Grand Forks County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 41.7 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 44% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.3 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 33.1% | 34.4% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.3% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 19% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.7% | 16.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.8% | 47.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.3% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Compared with North Dakota, Grand Forks County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark. It runs above North Dakota on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Grand Forks County: 1 in 42 crashes involve a garbage truck (8 since 2015), vs 0.9% across North Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 359 crashes involving commercial trucks in Grand Forks County since 2015: 144 people were injured and 18 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Thompson since 2015; patterns below come from Grand Forks County as a whole.
64% of truck crash reports in Grand Forks County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (13.4% of the year) and are lowest in May (3.6%).
November through March accounts for 46.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 47.2% in North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 12.0% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 33.1% of truck crashes, compared with 34.4% in North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Thompson is I-29, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-11TH St Ne (1), CR-EAGLE Ave (1) and US-7 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 8 of the truck crashes here, or 2.2%, compared with 0.9% in North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Thompson fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-29 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Grand Forks County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-29 | 4 |
| CR-11TH St Ne | 1 |
| CR-EAGLE Ave | 1 |
| US-7 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Grand Forks County) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 4 |
| 11Th St Ne | 3 |
| 18Th St Ne | 3 |
| 32Nd Ave | 3 |
| I-29 | 3 |
| 47Th Ave | 2 |
| 48Th St | 2 |
| 55Th St | 2 |
Thompson at a glance
| Population | 1,091 |
| Land area | 0.4 sq mi |
| Density | 2,525 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58278) | $111,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58278) | $313,642 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Grand Forks 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 | 20 | — | 0.6 |
| 2000s | 8 | -60% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 28 | +256% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 32 | +15% | 1.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 20 to 32. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.5 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Thompson
How common are truck crashes in Thompson?
Grand Forks County has had 359 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 144 people and killing 18.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Thompson?
NHTSA data shows I-29 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Thompson since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Thompson?
Truck crashes in Grand Forks County peak in October, with 13.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Thompson?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Grand Forks County since 2015, 2.2% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Thompson compare with North Dakota?
The yearly rate is 41.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Grand Forks County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Thompson?
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.