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Traffic heat map of Clearwater County, Minnesota: 361 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Central Street and Main Avenue

Clearwater County, Minnesota Traffic Counts

TrafficZoom tracks traffic on 361 road miles in Clearwater County, Minnesota, divided into 2,131 segments averaging 896 ft. Its busiest road, Central Street, carries 6,401 vehicles a day, 6.7 times the average road. Built from cross-verified mobile and road-sensor data, these counts help you size up a retail site, plan logistics routes or assess infrastructure needs.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Clearwater County, Minnesota

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day955
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

8.1%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

30.2 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

4.7%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

46.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$67,271

The average monitored road in Clearwater County, Minnesota carries 955 vehicles per day. Across its 361 miles of monitored roads, that adds up to 294,504 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈107 million per year). About 1 in 12 vehicles is a truck, in line with Minnesota (8.1%).

Quieter roads than 91% of counties in Minnesota

Clearwater sees 72% lower average daily traffic volume than the state average (955 vehicles per day against 3,404), suggesting less demand on each road - very light roads: easy truck access, but little passing trade for roadside retail. In total volume terms, its road network carries about 0.2% of Minnesota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. Clearwater carries less traffic than 91% of counties in Minnesota.

The average trip takes 30.2 minutes, 6% lower than the state level. On travel time, Clearwater runs shorter than 90% of counties in Minnesota.

Congestion runs 56% lower than the state level, at a ratio of 4.7%, which means smoother traffic flow - free-flowing roads make scheduled deliveries highly predictable.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Clearwater County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day3,782
Trucks9.2%
Average travel time37.9 min
Congestion ratio6.7%
Drivers’ average age45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income$67,946

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Clearwater County, Minnesota: 34% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 3,782 vehicles per day, 446% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 692 vehicles per day.

That comes from just 9% of the monitored road miles: 34 miles in 181 segments, carrying 99,255 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈36.2 million per year).

Fewer highway trucks than 88% of counties in Minnesota

The concentration of trucks on highways (9.2%) is 10% lower than the state average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for Minnesota: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

Clearwater's highway truck share (9.2%) is lower than 80% of counties in Minnesota. Clearwater's highway truck count is lower than 88% of counties in Minnesota, at roughly 348 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Clearwater County, Minnesota

Trafficvehicles per day692
Trucks7.5%
Average travel time29.5 min
Congestion ratio4.5%
Drivers’ average age49.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$66,791

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Clearwater County, Minnesota (66% of vehicle-miles). A typical local road sees 692 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 91% of the monitored road miles (327 miles in 1,950 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 195,249 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈71.3 million per year). Trucks make up 7.5% of non-highway traffic, about 1 in 13 vehicles.

Drivers from lower-income areas than 95% of counties in Minnesota

The concentration of trucks on non-highway roads is 18% lower than on highways.

At 54% lower than the state level, the non-highway congestion ratio of 4.5% signals easier movement on local roads.

Trip origins here have lower average income than 95% of counties in Minnesota. The driver population here skews younger than 72% of counties in Minnesota.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 11:00 AM–12:00 PM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 96% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are much quieter: volumes run about 22% below weekday levels, the signature of a commute-driven road network.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
July–September is the high season, with volumes +17% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -25% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Clearwater County, Minnesota, the peak hour concentrates about 8% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +17% in high season.

Clearwater County vs. Minnesota Traffic Comparison

Of the four measures, average daily traffic per road differs most: Clearwater County runs 72% below the Minnesota average.

MetricClearwater CountyMinnesota averageDifference
Traffic9553,404-72.0%
Truck % (Total Traffic)8.1%8.1%+0.2%
Truck % (Highway)9.2%10.3%-10.2%
Avg. Travel Time30.2 min32.2 min-6.2%

How Clearwater County compares

Clearwater County is the least congested of its nearby counties

Set against the average of the 4 areas nearest to it, Clearwater County carries 36.5% less traffic on a typical road; it has the quietest roads of the five. Less traffic and more room for it - the roads here run both quieter and freer than the areas around them.

Clearwater County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Minnesota average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Clearwater County9558.1%294,50430.2 min4.7%
Mahnomen County, Minnesota1,2399.3%175,62039.7 min5.2%
Beltrami County, Minnesota2,1337.3%1,022,72029.9 min8.3%
Red Lake County, Minnesota1,0388.5%142,18536.2 min5.3%
Hubbard County, Minnesota1,5997.7%696,31332.1 min5.5%
Minnesota average3,4048.1%N/A32.2 min10.6%

Clearwater County ranked within Minnesota

Average driver income places Clearwater County #83 of 87 in Minnesota - the bottom quarter of the state.

Clearwater County ranked among 87 county-level areas in Minnesota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 81.
MeasureClearwater CountyMinnesota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)955#79 of 87
Highway vehicle-miles per day99,255#69 of 81
Truck share on highways9.2%#65 of 81
Highway trucks per day348#71 of 81
Average travel time30.2 min#78 of 87
Average driver income$67,271#83 of 87
Average driver age46.4 yrs#63 of 87

Busiest roads in Clearwater County, Minnesota

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Clearwater County carry 4,803 vehicles a day on average, 5.0 times the typical road in the county (955).

Central Street leads with 6,401 vehicles a day, 498 of them trucks (7.8%). No other road comes close: Main Avenue, in second place, carries 4,196. It also carries the most trucks.

Trucks make up 20.8% of traffic on MN 1 / MN 89, against 8.1% across all roads in the county.

MN 1 / MN 89 carries longer journeys than most roads here, with a median trip of 46.3 minutes against 30.2 county-wide.

Drivers on MN 1 / MN 89 are noticeably younger, with a median age of 36.1 against 46.4 across the county.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Central StreetTrunk road · 6,401vehicles498trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
7.5%
Median trip time
36.9 min
Drivers’ median age
47.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,558

A main artery: Central Street's busiest stretch carries 6.7 times the county average; trucks are 7.8% of it, in line with the county-wide 8.1%.

2Main AvenueSecondary road · 4,196vehicles222trucks · 5.3%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
10.2%
Median trip time
29.4 min
Drivers’ median age
47.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$69,420

On its busiest stretch, Main Avenue carries 4.4 times the county average; trucks are 5.3% of it, below the county-wide 8.1%.

3US 2Trunk road · 3,812vehicles391trucks · 10.3%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
4.2%
Median trip time
44.9 min
Drivers’ median age
48.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$69,786

US 2 carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 44.9 minutes, against 30.2 for the county.

4US-2Trunk road · 3,624vehicles316trucks · 8.7%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
9.5%
Median trip time
40.1 min
Drivers’ median age
43.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,284

Drivers on US-2 are on long journeys, a median 40.1 minutes against 30.2 county-wide: a through route more than a local street.

5Clearwater County Veterans Memorial HighwaySecondary road · 1,803vehicles126trucks · 7.0%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
4.2%
Median trip time
30.4 min
Drivers’ median age
52.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$65,115

At 89% more than the county average, Clearwater County Veterans Memorial Highway draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $65,115 in household income.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Central StreetTrunk road · #1 by traffic6,401vehicles498trucks · 7.8%
2US 2Trunk road · #3 by traffic3,812vehicles391trucks · 10.3%
3US-2Trunk road · #4 by traffic3,624vehicles316trucks · 8.7%
4Main AvenueSecondary road · #2 by traffic4,196vehicles222trucks · 5.3%
5MN 1 / MN 89Secondary road · 675vehicles140trucks · 20.8%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
46.3 min
Drivers’ median age
36.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$50,481

MN 1 / MN 89 is a quieter road: its busiest stretch carries 29% less than the county average; trucks are 20.8% of it, above the county-wide 8.1%.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

ClearwaterDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Clearwater County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Clearwater County, Minnesota.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.