Blue Butte, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Blue Butte: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Blue Butte and McKenzie County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use McKenzie County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 835 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How McKenzie County compares with North Dakota
McKenzie County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2024 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where McKenzie County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2024) | McKenzie County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 587.7 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 8.0× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.35 | 0.33 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 53% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 30.4% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 12% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.6% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.4% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 17% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.3% | 47.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 31.2% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Compared with North Dakota, McKenzie County is lower on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above North Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in McKenzie County: 1 in 233 crashes involve a garbage truck (4 since 2015), vs 0.9% across North Dakota.
Overview
McKenzie County has recorded 835 truck crashes since 2015, with 287 people injured and 55 killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 4 days in fully reported years.
With 0 truck crashes reported in Blue Butte since 2015, this page uses McKenzie County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
85% of truck crash reports in McKenzie County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.9% of the year) and are lowest in April (6.0%).
November through March accounts for 47.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 47.2% in North Dakota.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 8.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 30.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, SR-23 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (7). It is followed by SR-73 (1) and US-23 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 4 crashes, 0.5% of the total, against 0.9% across North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Blue Butte fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along SR-23; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 25.6% of truck crashes here, more than North Dakota; 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.
Crash reporting for 2021, 2023 and 2025 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in McKenzie County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-23 | 7 |
| SR-73 | 1 |
| US-23 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (McKenzie County) |
|---|---|
| US-85 | 6 |
| 38Th St Nw | 4 |
| SR-23 | 4 |
| 103Rd Ave Nw | 3 |
| 34Th St Nw | 3 |
| 35Th St Nw | 3 |
| 148Th M Ave Nw | 2 |
| 18Th St Nw | 2 |
Blue Butte at a glance
| Population | 86 |
| Land area | 34.5 sq mi |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58847) | $84,950 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in McKenzie 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 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 5 | +80% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 119 | +2106% | 8.0 |
| 2020s | 61 | -49% | 2.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 61 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 5.2 a year in 2016–19, 2.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Blue Butte
How common are truck crashes in Blue Butte?
McKenzie County has had 835 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 287 people and killing 55.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Blue Butte?
SR-23 had 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Blue Butte since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Blue Butte?
January has the most truck crashes in McKenzie County, 11.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Blue Butte?
Since 2015, McKenzie County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.5% of its truck crashes.
How does Blue Butte compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 587.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in McKenzie County, vs 73.9 for North Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Blue Butte?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2021, 2023 and 2025; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.