ZIP 55781 (Side Lake, MN) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 55781: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Itasca County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
5 of 169 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Itasca County compares with Minnesota
Itasca County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Itasca County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Itasca County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.4 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 17% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 28.4% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 1.1× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.2% | 27.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.4% | 19.1% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.8% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 18.5% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Compared with Minnesota, Itasca County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Itasca County: 8.6 people killed per 100 truck crashes (Minnesota: 3.0).
Overview
Police reported 169 crashes involving commercial trucks in Itasca County since 2015: 85 people were injured and 14 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 25 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 16.0% of truck crashes; the quietest is March at 2.4%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 43.8% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 11.8% of truck crashes.
28.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 25.6% across Minnesota.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 55781 since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 5 of the truck crashes here, or 3.0%, compared with 2.8% in Minnesota.
Route planning tips for ZIP 55781 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 28.4% of truck crashes here, more than Minnesota; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Itasca 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 (Itasca County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 2 | 36 |
| Usth 169 | 23 |
| Hwy | 9 |
| Mnth 38 | 6 |
| Mnth 6 | 6 |
| 4Th St Ne | 5 |
| Mnth 46 | 5 |
| 4Th St Nw | 4 |
ZIP 55781 at a glance
| Population | 821 |
| Density | 4 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $101,406 |
| Median home value | $419,340 |
| Home ownership | 95% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Itasca 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 | 3 | — | 0.9 |
| 2000s | 16 | +471% | 0.6 |
| 2010s | 16 | +3% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 14 | -14% | 2.0 |
In the 1990s about 3 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 14. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 2.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 55781
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 55781?
169 truck crashes have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, with 14 deaths and 85 injuries.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 55781?
The worst month is January: 16.0% of truck crashes in Itasca County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 55781?
5 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Itasca County since 2015, 3.0% of all truck crashes.
How does ZIP 55781 compare with Minnesota for truck crashes?
Itasca County records 32.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 55781?
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.