McKinley, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in McKinley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in McKinley and Ward County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Ward County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 308 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Ward County compares with North Dakota
Ward County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Ward County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Ward County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 40.6 | 73.9 | 49.7 | 45% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.4× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 25.2% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 27% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.2% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 5.8% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 64% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.2% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 17.3% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 30% below the state |
Compared with North Dakota, Ward County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
The headline for Ward County: August 12.7% of truck crashes happen in August, more than any other month.
Overview
Police reported 308 crashes involving commercial trucks in Ward County since 2015: 146 people were injured and 16 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 13 days.
With 0 truck crashes reported in McKinley since 2015, this page uses Ward County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
72% of truck crash reports in Ward County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 12.7% of truck crashes; the quietest is October at 5.8%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.2% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (10.8%).
Road surface: 25.2% 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 McKinley happened on US-83 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.0% share (North Dakota: 0.9%).
Route planning tips for McKinley fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Ward County.
- Morning starts matter: 25.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than North Dakota.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2020; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Ward County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-83 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Ward County) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 7 |
| US-83 | 4 |
| 128Th Ave Nw | 3 |
| 13Th Ave Se | 3 |
| 27Th St Se | 2 |
| US-52 | 2 |
| - Rd | 1 |
| 100Th St Sw | 1 |
McKinley at a glance
| Population | 136 |
| Land area | 36.5 sq mi |
| Density | 4 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58785) | $105,375 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58785) | $316,992 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Ward 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 | 14 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 8 | -42% | 1.1 |
| 2010s | 33 | +308% | 2.4 |
| 2020s | 27 | -17% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 14 to 27. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about McKinley
How common are truck crashes in McKinley?
Since 2015, 308 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Ward County (146 injured, 16 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in McKinley?
August has the most truck crashes in Ward County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in McKinley?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3 reported crashes in Ward County since 2015 (1.0% of truck crashes).
How does McKinley compare with North Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Ward County has 40.6 truck crashes a year; North Dakota has 73.9.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in McKinley?
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 2020; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.