Cottonwood Lake, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cottonwood Lake: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cottonwood Lake and McHenry County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use McHenry County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 94 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How McHenry County compares with North Dakota
McHenry County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where McHenry County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | McHenry County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 152.3 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 2.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.26 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 29.1% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 15% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.8% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 13% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.6% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 28% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.9% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 11% below the state |
| After dark | 29.1% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
McHenry County sits below North Dakota on injuries per crash, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). It runs above North Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in McHenry County: 1 in 43 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.3%, against 0.9% for North Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 94 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in McHenry County. They injured 23 people and killed 5.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 47 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Cottonwood Lake since 2015; patterns below come from McHenry County as a whole.
76% of truck crash reports in McHenry County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is February with 13.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 3.2%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.9% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 13.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 29.1% of truck crashes, compared with 34.4% in North Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Cottonwood Lake happened on US-52 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.2% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for Cottonwood Lake fleets
- Plan February schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in McHenry County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 McHenry County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-52 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (McHenry County) |
|---|---|
| 11Th Ave | 2 |
| 44Th St | 2 |
| SR-41 | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| 40Th St Ne | 1 |
| 44Th St Ne | 1 |
| 50Th St | 1 |
| 66Th St | 1 |
Cottonwood Lake at a glance
| Population | 11 |
| Land area | 34.2 sq mi |
| Density | 0 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58792) | $105,221 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in McHenry 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 | 5 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 3 | -39% | 0.0 |
| 2010s | 9 | +214% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 8 | -7% | 0.4 |
In the 1990s about 5 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 8. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cottonwood Lake
How common are truck crashes in Cottonwood Lake?
McHenry County has had 94 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 23 people and killing 5.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cottonwood Lake?
The worst month is February: 13.8% of truck crashes in McHenry County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cottonwood Lake?
3 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in McHenry County since 2015, 3.2% of all truck crashes.
How does Cottonwood Lake compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
McHenry County records 152.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Cottonwood Lake?
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.