Rapid City, SD truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rapid City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rapid 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 |
Compared with South Dakota, Pennington County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. It runs above South Dakota on garbage-truck share, in rain, sleet or snow and after dark.
What stands out in Pennington County: 1 in 41 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 2.4%, vs 1.6% in South Dakota.
Overview
Police reported 399 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pennington County since 2015: 38 people were injured and 11 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 11 days in fully reported years.
Only 149 truck crashes were reported in Rapid City since 2015; patterns below come from Pennington County as a whole.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 11.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 5.3%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 48.2% of truck crashes, against 48.8% across South Dakota.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (8.8%).
28.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 28.6% across South Dakota.
Where crashes happen
I-90 leads within 10 miles of Rapid City with 4 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by 5th St (1), CR-HWY 14-16 E (1) and Elk Vale Rd (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 10 of the truck crashes here, or 2.5%, compared with 1.6% in South Dakota.
Route planning tips for Rapid City fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-90, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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 Pennington County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 4 |
| 5th St | 1 |
| CR-HWY 14-16 E | 1 |
| Elk Vale Rd | 1 |
| SR-44 | 1 |
| 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 |
Rapid City at a glance
| Population | 79,894 |
| Land area | 56.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,427 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 57701) | $56,461 |
| Median home value (ZIP 57701) | $253,157 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 23 a year in the 1990s and 42 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. 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 Rapid City
How many truck crashes happen in Rapid City?
399 truck crashes have been reported in Pennington County since 2015, with 11 deaths and 38 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Rapid City?
NHTSA data shows I-90 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rapid City since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Rapid City?
The worst month is January: 11.8% of truck crashes in Pennington County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Rapid City?
Garbage trucks were involved in 10 reported crashes in Pennington County since 2015 (2.5% of truck crashes).
How does Rapid City compare with South Dakota for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Pennington County has 29.1 truck crashes a year; South Dakota has 42.0.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Rapid City?
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.