Knife River, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Knife River: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Knife River and Mountrail County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mountrail County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4 of 308 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Mountrail County compares with North Dakota
Mountrail County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mountrail County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mountrail County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 287.9 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 3.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.37 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 26.7% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 22% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.7% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.0% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 44% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.7% | 47.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 32.0% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 1.3× the state |
Mountrail County sits below North Dakota on on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Knife River at a glance: SR-23 deadliest road: 3 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Knife River since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 308 crashes involving commercial trucks in Mountrail County since 2015: 114 people were injured and 21 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 13 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Knife River since 2015; patterns below come from Mountrail County as a whole.
75% of truck crash reports in Mountrail County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.0% of the year) and are lowest in April (4.5%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 46.7% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 8.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 26.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
SR-23 leads within 10 miles of Knife River with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-23B (2), SR-8 (1) and US-1804 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
4 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.3% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for Knife River fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use SR-23, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Morning starts matter: 26.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than North Dakota.
- 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 Mountrail County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-23 | 3 |
| SR-23B | 2 |
| SR-8 | 1 |
| US-1804 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mountrail County) |
|---|---|
| 73Rd Ave Nw | 4 |
| 74Th St Nw | 4 |
| 83Rd Ave Nw | 4 |
| SR-1804 | 4 |
| US-2 | 4 |
| 47Th St Nw | 2 |
| 59Th St Nw | 2 |
| 88Th Ave Nw | 2 |
Knife River at a glance
| Population | 51 |
| Land area | 35.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58763) | $58,110 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58763) | $226,524 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mountrail 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 | 2 | — | 0.2 |
| 2000s | 4 | +64% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 38 | +820% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 28 | -25% | 0.8 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 28. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.5 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Knife River
How common are truck crashes in Knife River?
Mountrail County has had 308 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 114 people and killing 21.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Knife River?
SR-23 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Knife River since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Knife River?
March has the most truck crashes in Mountrail County, 12.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Knife River?
Since 2015, Mountrail County has reported 4 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.3% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Knife River compare with North Dakota?
Mountrail County records 287.9 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Knife River?
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.