Watertown, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Watertown: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Watertown and Codington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Codington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3 of 133 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Codington County compares with South Dakota
Codington County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Codington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Codington County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.3 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 11% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 31% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 31.7% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.5% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 14% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.0% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 8% below the state |
| After dark | 17.5% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 23% below the state |
Codington County sits below South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. It runs above South Dakota on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Codington County: 1 in 40 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.5%, vs 1.6% in South Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 133 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Codington County. They injured 12 people and killed 6.
That averages about one truck crash every 33 days in fully reported years.
With 52 truck crashes reported in Watertown since 2015, this page uses Codington County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.8% of the year) and are lowest in November (4.5%).
November through March accounts for 45.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.8% in South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 31.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Watertown happened on US-212 (2), 20 Ave (1) and SR-20 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
3 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.3% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Watertown fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Codington County.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 31.7% of truck crashes here, more than South Dakota; schedule winter checks early.
- 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Codington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-212 | 2 |
| 20 Ave | 1 |
| SR-20 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Codington County) |
|---|---|
| US-212 | 37 |
| I-29 | 31 |
| Sd Hwy 20 | 14 |
| Ave Se | 10 |
| US-81 | 10 |
| Ave | 7 |
| Ave Ne | 3 |
| St Se | 3 |
Watertown at a glance
| Population | 23,492 |
| Land area | 18.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1,274 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57201) | $72,878 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57201) | $239,595 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Codington 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 | 8 | — | 0.4 |
| 2000s | 10 | +28% | 0.7 |
| 2010s | 9 | -9% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 13 | +45% | 1.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 13 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Watertown
How many truck crashes happen in Watertown?
Since 2015, 133 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Codington County (12 injured, 6 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in Watertown?
The worst month is March: 12.8% of truck crashes in Codington County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Watertown?
Garbage trucks were involved in 3 reported crashes in Codington County since 2015 (2.3% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Watertown compared with South Dakota?
The yearly rate is 37.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Codington County, vs 42.0 for South Dakota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Watertown?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.