ZIP 56159 (Mountain Lake, MN) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 56159: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Cottonwood 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
0 of 136 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cottonwood County compares with Minnesota
Cottonwood County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cottonwood County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cottonwood County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 102.6 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 2.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 8.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 27.3% | 25.6% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.0% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 33% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 46.1% | 46.2% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.0% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Cottonwood County sits below Minnesota on garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Cottonwood County at a glance: 8.6 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 3.0 across Minnesota.
Overview
Since 2015, 136 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cottonwood County. They injured 85 people and killed 12.
That averages about one truck crash every 31 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 11.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is July at 1.5%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 46.1% of truck crashes, vs 46.2% for Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 1–2 pm, with 12.5% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 27.3% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Minnesota: 25.6%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 56159 since 2015: CR-2 520Th Ave (1), SR-60 (1) and US-71 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
FMCSA lists no garbage-truck crashes in Cottonwood County since 2015.
Route planning tips for ZIP 56159 fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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 Cottonwood County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| CR-2 520Th Ave | 1 |
| SR-60 | 1 |
| US-71 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cottonwood County) |
|---|---|
| Mnth 60 | 50 |
| Usth 71 | 18 |
| Mnth 30 | 6 |
| Mnth 62 | 5 |
| Hwy | 5 |
| Csah 1 | 5 |
| Csah 5 | 4 |
| 16Th St | 2 |
ZIP 56159 at a glance
| Population | 2,668 |
| Density | 8 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $71,648 |
| Median home value | $161,148 |
| Home ownership | 76% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cottonwood 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 | 5 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 8 | +66% | 0.2 |
| 2010s | 11 | +30% | 0.7 |
| 2020s | 12 | +6% | 1.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 5 to 12. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 56159
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 56159?
Cottonwood County has had 136 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 85 people and killing 12.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 56159?
Truck crashes in Cottonwood County peak in October, with 11.8% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 56159?
0 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Cottonwood County since 2015, 0.0% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 56159 compare with Minnesota?
Cottonwood County records 102.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 56159?
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.