Duluth, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Duluth: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Duluth and Clark County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Clark County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
21 of 990 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Clark County compares with Washington
Clark County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Clark County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Clark County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 16.3 | 25.8 | 49.7 | 37% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 29% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.19 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.0% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.8% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 61% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.7% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.1% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.7% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Washington, Clark County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share.
Duluth at a glance: I-5 6 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Duluth.
Overview
Clark County has recorded 990 truck crashes since 2015, with 191 people injured and 23 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 4 days.
Duluth had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Clark County numbers.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 10.3% of the yearly total, while May has the fewest (6.8%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.7% of truck crashes, against 43.8% across Washington.
By time of day, 1–2 pm stands out with 8.1% of truck crashes.
3.8% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 9.7% across Washington.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Duluth is I-5, with 6 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come SR-503 (2), CR-NE 259Th St (1) and CR-NE 78Th St (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 21 crashes, 2.1% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (14% of them).
Route planning tips for Duluth fleets
- Build extra time into November routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-5, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at May schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Clark County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 6 |
| SR-503 | 2 |
| CR-NE 259Th St | 1 |
| CR-NE 78Th St | 1 |
| CR-NE 82Nd Ave | 1 |
| CR-NE Cedar Creek Rd | 1 |
| CR-NE Highway 99 | 1 |
| CR-NW Pacific Hwy | 1 |
| I-205 | 1 |
| Mu-Ne Fourth Plain Blvd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Clark County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-14*001.00 | 5 |
| Sr-500*001.00 | 5 |
| Ne 78Th St Blk 3000 | 3 |
| Sr-14*006.00 | 3 |
| Sr-500*004.00 | 3 |
| Sr-500*005.00 | 3 |
| Sr-502*001.00 | 3 |
| Sr-503*001.00 | 3 |
Duluth at a glance
| Land area | 6.0 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 98642) | $120,822 |
| Median home value (ZIP 98642) | $651,554 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Clark 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 | 29 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 62 | +114% | 1.6 |
| 2010s | 73 | +18% | 1.2 |
| 2020s | 90 | +23% | 3.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 29 to 90. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 3.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Duluth
How common are truck crashes in Duluth?
990 truck crashes have been reported in Clark County since 2015, with 23 deaths and 191 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Duluth?
NHTSA data shows I-5 with 6 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Duluth since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Duluth?
The worst month is November: 10.3% of truck crashes in Clark County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Duluth?
Since 2015, Clark County has reported 21 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.1% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Duluth compared with Washington?
Clark County records 16.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 25.8 across Washington.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Duluth?
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.