ZIP 56297 (Wood Lake, MN) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 56297: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Yellow Medicine 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
1 of 82 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Yellow Medicine County compares with Minnesota
Yellow Medicine County against Minnesota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Yellow Medicine County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Yellow Medicine County | Minnesota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 74.7 | 39.0 | 49.7 | 1.9× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 7.8 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 2.6× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.42 | 0.37 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 54% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 14.3% | 25.6% | 6.2% | 44% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.5% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 28% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.8% | 19.1% | 13.8% | 59% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 28.6% | 46.2% | 41.9% | 38% below the state |
| After dark | 10.4% | 20.3% | 24.8% | 49% below the state |
Yellow Medicine County has lower values than Minnesota for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Yellow Medicine County: 7.8 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 3.0 in Minnesota.
Overview
Police reported 82 crashes involving commercial trucks in Yellow Medicine County since 2015: 34 people were injured and 6 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 52 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
June has the most truck crashes, 13.4% of the yearly total, while March has the fewest (2.4%).
November through March accounts for 28.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 46.2% in Minnesota.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 14.6% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 14.3% 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 56297 since 2015: SR-23 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 1 crash, 1.2% of the total, against 2.8% across Minnesota.
Route planning tips for ZIP 56297 fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 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 Yellow Medicine County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-23 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Yellow Medicine County) |
|---|---|
| Usth 75 | 8 |
| Usth 59 | 8 |
| Mnth 23 | 7 |
| 300Th St | 6 |
| Mnth 67 | 5 |
| Saint Olaf Ave | 5 |
| 510Th St | 4 |
| Hwy | 4 |
ZIP 56297 at a glance
| Population | 811 |
| Density | 5 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $82,250 |
| Median home value | $150,180 |
| Home ownership | 88% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Yellow Medicine 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 | 4 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 6 | +42% | 0.5 |
| 2010s | 8 | +29% | 0.5 |
| 2020s | 7 | -4% | 0.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 7. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.2 a year in 2016–19 and 0.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 56297
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 56297?
82 truck crashes have been reported in Yellow Medicine County since 2015, with 6 deaths and 34 injuries.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 56297?
June has the most truck crashes in Yellow Medicine County, 13.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 56297?
Garbage trucks were involved in 1 reported crash in Yellow Medicine County since 2015 (1.2% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 56297 compare with Minnesota?
Yellow Medicine County records 74.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 39.0 across Minnesota.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 56297?
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.