County profile · official public datasets

Cape Girardeau County, MO

374 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 35.8% rated Good, 59.1% Fair, 5.1% Poor.

374
Public bridges
35.8%
Good condition
5.1%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Cape Girardeau County posts a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

Top 19%
lowest Poor share in state
5.1%
Poor-condition share
374
public highway bridges
1978
avg year built

Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.

Cape Girardeau County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Cape Girardeau County ranks #22 of 115 Missouri counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 5.1%). Cape Girardeau County, Missouri contains 374 public highway bridges. Roughly 35.8% are rated “Good,” 59.1% “Fair,” and 5.1% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.

Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.

Total bridges

374

Public highway bridges in Cape Girardeau County

Good condition

35.8%

134 of 374 rated 7-9

Fair condition

59.1%

221 of 374 rated 5-6

Poor condition

5.1%

19 of 374 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#22 of 115

Among Missouri counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 374 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
35.8% (134)
Fair
59.1% (221)
Poor
5.1% (19)

Cape Girardeau County's Poor-condition bridges carry 47,357 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.4% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 5.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,492 crossings a day against 1,895 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.

Computed over the 374 of 374 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

44.7% of Cape Girardeau County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

167 of the 374 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 35.8% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.

Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

One structure carries 24.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 61 S over HUBBLE CR, built 1925, carries 11,660 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 19-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 47,357 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Cape Girardeau County's bridges were built

374 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 2000s, when 68 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 15 to 24 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1978) matches the Missouri average (1979).

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Cape Girardeau County compares with Missouri's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Missouri counties nearest Cape Girardeau County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 5.1% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1978 against a peer-group mean of 1984 is 6 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 114 Missouri counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Cape Girardeau County and the 5 Missouri counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Jefferson County 411 3.4%
Vernon County 401 4.2%
Nodaway County 396 14.4%
Cass County 377 8.8%
Cape Girardeau County (this page) 374 5.1%
Carroll County 371 18.1%

Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Cape Girardeau County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year

Two NBI-derived peer sets for Cape Girardeau County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MO (374 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MO (1978 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 374 Good 134 Fair 221 Poor 19

All bridges (374)

COUNTY RD 203

Fair

Over: WILLIAMS CR

S 220 T 30 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1973 Load: 0.9 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RD 621

Fair

Over: CAPE LA CROIX CR

S 13 T 31 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1953 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 300

COUNTY RD 401

Fair

Over: SANDY CR

S 1 T 33 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1918 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 10

MAIN ST

Fair

Over: SLOANS CR

S 2199 T 31 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1972 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 1,500

COUNTY RD 635

Fair

Over: LIT FLORA CR

S 2201 T 31 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1925 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 130

COUNTY RD 203

Fair

Over: RAMSEY CR

S 3 T 30 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1951 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 80

COUNTY RD 522

Fair

Over: MUDDY SHAWNEE

S 2246 T 33 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1976 Load: 9.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY RD 510

Fair

Over: HUGHES CR

S 15 T 33 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1974 Load: 9.9 t ADT: 30

COUNTY RD 606

Fair

Over: BR INDIAN CR

S 30 T 32 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1986 Load: 9.9 t ADT: 35

COUNTY RD 255

Fair

Over: CROOKED CR

S 5 T 29 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1974 Load: 9.9 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 238

Fair

Over: DIVERSION CHNL

S 6 T 29 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1980 Load: 10.8 t ADT: 110

RT N E

Fair

Over: WHITEWATER RVR

S 5 T 29 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1932 Load: 10.8 t ADT: 2,146

COUNTY RD 513

Fair

Over: FLAT ROCK CR

S 6 T 33 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1930 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 614

Fair

Over: CREEK

S 800 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1950 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 30

COUNTY RD 643

Fair

Over: JUDEN CR

S 19 T 31 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1932 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 400

COUNTY RD 627

Fair

Over: BIG FLORA CR

S 34 T 32 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1953 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 222

Fair

Over: BR HUBBLE CR

S 9 T 30 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1973 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 352

Fair

Over: LIT WHITEWATER RVR

S 20 T 32 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1967 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 436

Fair

Over: LIT CANE CR

S 26 T 32 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1918 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 20

RT B S

Fair

Over: APPLE CR

S 4 T 33 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1949 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 1,051

COUNTY RD 607

Fair

Over: INDIAN CR

S 10 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1968 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 606

Fair

Over: BR OF INDIAN CR

S 19 T 32 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1994 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 75

KINGSHIGHWAY S

Fair

Over: LITTLE RAMSEY CR

S 24 T 30 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1928 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 354

RT N E

Fair

Over: SMALL CR

S 1 T 29 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1932 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 1,344

COUNTY RD 316

Fair

Over: RANDOL CR

S 189 T 31 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1965 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 25

COUNTY RD 460

Fair

Over: BR OF BYRD CR

S 200 T 32 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1989 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 471

Fair

Over: BR CANEY FORK CR

S 2 T 32 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1920 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 35

COUNTY RD 549

Fair

Over: BR OF INDIAN CR

S 10 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1956 Load: 14.4 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 607

Fair

Over: DUSKIN CR

S 13 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1972 Load: 14.4 t ADT: 40

BERTLING ST

Fair

Over: SLOANS CR

S 2199 T 31 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1964 Load: 14.4 t ADT: 4,000

COUNTY RD 222

Fair

Over: HUBBLE CR

S 201 T 30 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1927 Load: 14.4 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 425

Fair

Over: BR CANEY FORK CR

S 21 T 33 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1986 Load: 14.4 t ADT: 35

COUNTY RD 553

Fair

Over: TURKEY CR

S 2 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 2003 Load: 15.3 t ADT: 40

COUNTY RD 415

Fair

Over: BR OF SANDY CR

S 10 T 33 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1920 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 411

Fair

Over: BR OF HUGHES CR

S 29 T 33 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1925 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 427

Fair

Over: BR OF HUGHES CR

S 21 T 33 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1935 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 15

COUNTY RD 520

Fair

Over: BR OF BUCKEYE CR

S 23 T 33 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1928 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 30

COUNTY RD 228

Fair

Over: HUBBLE CR

S 674 T 30 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1977 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 25

E MAIN ST

Fair

Over: GOOSE CR

S 797 T 31 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1922 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 2,500

COUNTY RD 350

Fair

Over: LIT WHITEWATER RVR

S 28 T 32 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1975 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 30

MO 177 S

Fair

Over: INDIAN CR

S 8 T 32 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1961 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 1,928

MO 25 S

Fair

Over: WHITEWATER CHNL

S 8 T 29 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1940 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 4,191

LYNWOOD HILLS DR

Fair

Over: CAPE LACROUX CR

S 23 T 31 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1996 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 100

CO RTE 244

Fair

Over: CREEK

S 34 T 30 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1952 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 200

COUNTY RD 553

Fair

Over: TURKEY CR

S 2 T 32 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 2005 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 40

RT C S

Fair

Over: SHAWNEE CR

S 4 T 33 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1957 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 1,265

RT C S

Fair

Over: BLUE SHAWNEE CR

S 9 T 33 N R 13 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1957 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 1,597

RT OO E

Fair

Over: WHITEWATER RVR

S 36 T 31 N R 11 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1958 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 1,914

RT V S

Fair

Over: LIT INDIAN CR

S 18 T 32 N R 14 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1959 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 414

RT D S

Fair

Over: BYRD CR

S 2193 T 32 N R 12 E, Cape Girardeau, MO

Built 1954 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 888

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.