Wausau, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Wausau: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Wausau and Marathon County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Marathon County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
19 of 755 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Marathon County compares with Wisconsin
Marathon County against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Marathon County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Marathon County | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 46.4 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.1× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.46 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 7% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.8% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 30.0% | 26.9% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 19.9% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 48.9% | 44.9% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 20.7% | 20.9% | 24.8% | same |
Marathon County has lower values than Wisconsin for injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
Marathon County at a glance: 21.8% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Overview
Marathon County has recorded 755 truck crashes since 2015, with 292 people injured and 27 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 6 days.
Only 95 truck crashes were reported in Wausau since 2015; patterns below come from Marathon County as a whole.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 13.0% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (6.2%).
November through March accounts for 48.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
The busiest hour is 7–8 am, with 9.4% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 21.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of Wausau happened on CR-WW (1), SR-29 (1), SR-52 (1) and US-51 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
19 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.5% share (Wisconsin: 2.7%).
Route planning tips for Wausau fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 30.0% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Wisconsin; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 21.8% of truck crashes here, more than Wisconsin; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Marathon County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-WW | 1 |
| SR-29 | 1 |
| SR-52 | 1 |
| US-51 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Marathon County) |
|---|---|
| Sth 029 | 182 |
| I-039 | 76 |
| Ush 051 | 57 |
| Sth 097 | 20 |
| Sth 013 | 19 |
| SR-029 | 18 |
| Sth 153 | 13 |
| Cth | 12 |
Wausau at a glance
| Population | 40,262 |
| Land area | 19.2 sq mi |
| Density | 2,094 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 54401) | $71,586 |
| Median home value (ZIP 54401) | $198,471 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Marathon 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 | 57 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 75 | +33% | 3.0 |
| 2010s | 64 | -15% | 2.1 |
| 2020s | 63 | -2% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 57 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 63. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 3.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Wausau
How common are truck crashes in Wausau?
755 truck crashes have been reported in Marathon County since 2015, with 27 deaths and 292 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in Wausau?
January has the most truck crashes in Marathon County, 13.0% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Wausau?
Since 2015, Marathon County has reported 19 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.5% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Wausau compare with Wisconsin?
The yearly rate is 46.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Marathon County, vs 42.6 for Wisconsin.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Wausau?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.