Opdahl, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Opdahl: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Opdahl and Hamlin County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Hamlin County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1 of 49 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Hamlin County compares with South Dakota
Hamlin County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hamlin County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hamlin County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.3 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 1.4× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.7 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 10% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.07 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 46% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.3% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.9% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.6% | 22.2% | 23.7% | 16% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.6% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 34% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | 9% below the state |
| After dark | 16.3% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 29% below the state |
Compared with South Dakota, Hamlin County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and garbage-truck share.
Hamlin County at a glance: September the month with the most truck crashes: 20.4% of the year's total.
Overview
Since 2015, 49 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Hamlin County. They injured 5 people and killed 2.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 93 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Opdahl since 2015; patterns below come from Hamlin County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is September with 20.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is May at 2.0%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.2% of truck crashes, vs 48.8% for South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 1–2 pm than at any other hour (14.3%).
27.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, no fatal large-truck crashes with a location were recorded within 10 miles of Opdahl.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 1 of the truck crashes here, or 2.0%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Opdahl fleets
- Review driver schedules for September, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Hamlin County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hamlin County) |
|---|---|
| Sd Hwy 28 | 12 |
| US-81 | 10 |
| I-29 | 8 |
| Ave | 5 |
| Sd Hwy 22 | 4 |
| 181St St | 1 |
| 2Nd Ave | 1 |
| 461St Ave | 1 |
Opdahl at a glance
| Population | 210 |
| Land area | 33.9 sq mi |
| Density | 6 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57241) | $85,833 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57241) | $126,910 |
Historical data: truck crashes in Hamlin 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 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 3 | +55% | 0.1 |
| 2010s | 4 | +18% | 0.4 |
| 2020s | 4 | -12% | 0.2 |
In the 1990s about 2 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 4. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.2 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Opdahl
How common are truck crashes in Opdahl?
Hamlin County has had 49 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 5 people and killing 2.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Opdahl?
Truck crashes in Hamlin County peak in September, with 20.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Opdahl?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Hamlin County since 2015 (2.0% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Opdahl compare with South Dakota?
Hamlin County records 59.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Opdahl?
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.