St. Helens, OR truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in St. Helens: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in St. Helens and Columbia County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Columbia County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 186 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Columbia County compares with Oregon
Columbia County against Oregon and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Columbia County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Columbia County | Oregon | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.6 | 41.0 | 49.7 | 28% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 43% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 6.2% | 13.3% | 6.2% | 53% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 29.5% | 24.2% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.4% | 18.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 36.9% | 45.1% | 41.9% | 18% below the state |
| After dark | 20.4% | 25.3% | 24.8% | 19% below the state |
Compared with Oregon, Columbia County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in St. Helens: I-5 deadliest road: 4 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Helens since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 186 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Columbia County. They injured 70 people and killed 12.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 23 days.
Only 14 truck crashes were reported in St. Helens since 2015; patterns below come from Columbia County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 11.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.5%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 36.9% of truck crashes, against 45.1% across Oregon.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 6.2% of truck crashes, compared with 13.3% in Oregon.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of St. Helens is I-5, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: CR-NE 259Th St (1), CR-NE Cedar Creek Rd (1) and CR-NW Pacific Hwy (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 1.1%, compared with 2.0% in Oregon.
Route planning tips for St. Helens fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-5 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 29.5% of truck crashes here, more than Oregon; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Columbia County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 4 |
| CR-NE 259Th St | 1 |
| CR-NE Cedar Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-NW Pacific Hwy | 1 |
| CR-SCAPPOOSE Vernonia Hwy | 1 |
| Ne 23rd Ct | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Columbia County) |
|---|---|
| Hwy 30 & Rockcrest St | 3 |
| Hwy 47 .86 S Hwy 202 | 3 |
| Apiary Rd .21 S Old Rainier Rd | 2 |
| Hwy 30 & Colvin Rd | 2 |
| Hwy 30 & Gable Rd | 2 |
| Hwy 30 & Heath Rd | 2 |
| Hwy 30 & Tide Creek Rd | 2 |
| Hwy 30 E Mill St | 2 |
St. Helens at a glance
| Population | 14,460 |
| Land area | 4.9 sq mi |
| Density | 2,978 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 97018) | $96,750 |
| Median home value (ZIP 97018) | $460,152 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Columbia 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 | 11 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 19 | +74% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 15 | -19% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 17 | +13% | 0.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 11 to 17. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 0.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about St. Helens
How many truck crashes happen in St. Helens?
Since 2015, 186 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Columbia County (70 injured, 12 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in St. Helens?
Since 2015, I-5 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of St. Helens: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in St. Helens?
October has the most truck crashes in Columbia County, 11.3% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in St. Helens?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Columbia County since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in St. Helens compare with Oregon?
The yearly rate is 29.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Columbia County, vs 41.0 for Oregon.
How can I plan a safer truck route in St. Helens?
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.