Hill City, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hill City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Hill City and Pennington County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pennington County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
10 of 399 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Pennington County compares with South Dakota
Pennington County against South Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pennington County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pennington County | South Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 29.1 | 42.0 | 49.7 | 31% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.0 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 42% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.49 | 23% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.8% | 28.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.0% | 22.2% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 17.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.2% | 48.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.2% | 22.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Pennington County sits below South Dakota on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
The headline for Pennington County: 1 in 41 crashes involve a garbage truck (10 since 2015), vs 1.6% across South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 399 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pennington County since 2015: 38 people were injured and 11 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 11 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Hill City since 2015; patterns below come from Pennington County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.8% of the year) and are lowest in February (5.3%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.2% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 8.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 28.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (South Dakota: 28.6%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hill City since 2015 were spread across roads: US-16 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
10 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (South Dakota: 1.6%).
Route planning tips for Hill City fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Pennington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-16 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pennington County) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 194 |
| US-16 | 39 |
| Sd Hwy 44 | 26 |
| Sd Hwy 79 | 16 |
| Ave | 7 |
| Sd Hwy 445 | 7 |
| Us Hwy 16 B | 5 |
| Cambell St | 4 |
Hill City at a glance
| Population | 937 |
| Land area | 1.3 sq mi |
| Density | 714 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57751) | $97,969 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57751) | $496,748 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pennington 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 | 23 | — | 0.7 |
| 2000s | 24 | +2% | 1.0 |
| 2010s | 25 | +5% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 42 | +67% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 23 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 42. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hill City
How common are truck crashes in Hill City?
Since 2015, 399 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pennington County (38 injured, 11 killed).
Which month has the most truck crashes in Hill City?
Truck crashes in Pennington County peak in January, with 11.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Hill City?
Garbage trucks were involved in 10 reported crashes in Pennington County since 2015 (2.5% of truck crashes).
How does Hill City compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Pennington County records 29.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 42.0 across South Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Hill City?
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.