County profile · official public datasets

DeKalb County, MO

237 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 35% rated Good, 56.5% Fair, 8.4% Poor.

237
Public bridges
35%
Good condition
8.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

DeKalb County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.

Top 48%
lowest Poor share in state
8.4%
Poor-condition share
237
public highway bridges
1985
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.

DeKalb County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, DeKalb County ranks #55 of 115 Missouri counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.4%). DeKalb County, Missouri contains 237 public highway bridges. Roughly 35% are rated “Good,” 56.5% “Fair,” and 8.4% “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

237

Public highway bridges in DeKalb County

Good condition

35%

83 of 237 rated 7-9

Fair condition

56.5%

134 of 237 rated 5-6

Poor condition

8.4%

20 of 237 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#55 of 115

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

Condition distribution

Share of 237 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
35% (83)
Fair
56.5% (134)
Poor
8.4% (20)

DeKalb County's Poor-condition bridges carry 5,579 vehicle crossings a day

That is 3.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 8.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 279 crossings a day against 322 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 237 of 237 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

24.9% of DeKalb County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

59 of the 237 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% 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 92.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 36 E over E FK CASTILE CR, built 1966, carries 5,179 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 20-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 5,579 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When DeKalb County's bridges were built

237 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 2000s, when 72 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 30.4% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 15 to 24 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1985, 6 years newer than the Missouri average of 1979.

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

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

The 5 Missouri counties nearest DeKalb County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 8.4% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1985 against a peer-group mean of 1977 is 8 years newer.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for DeKalb County and the 5 Missouri counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Pettis County 243 11.1%
St. Louis city County 240 10%
Lafayette County 238 2.5%
DeKalb County (this page) 237 8.4%
Lawrence County 233 11.6%
Saline County 230 13%

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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MO (237 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MO (1985 here).

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

All bridges (237)

NE LIBERTY RD

Good

Over: E FORK LOST CR

S 19 T 60 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2017 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 5

MO 6 E

Good

Over: BIG LOST CR

S 26 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1995 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 1,366

SE KETCHUM RD

Good

Over: GRINDSTONE CR

S 10 T 58 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2003 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 40

MO 6 E

Good

Over: W FK LOST CR

S 26 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1995 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 2,212

MO 6 E

Good

Over: BIG LOST CR OVRFL

S 26 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1995 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 1,366

NW RIDGELINE RD

Good

Over: LOST CR

S 7 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2000 Load: 47.7 t ADT: 20

SW GRIDLEY RD

Good

Over: LIT THIRD FK

S 25 T 58 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2005 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 20

NW LAKESITE RD

Good

Over: BR MID FK LOST CR

S 21 T 60 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2006 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 15

NW MAIN RD

Good

Over: LOST CR

S 25 T 60 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1910 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 5

NE SANTA ROSA RD

Good

Over: BR OF GRINDSTONE C

S 24 T 59 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2002 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 25

NW CRABILL RD

Good

Over: BR OF LOST CR

S 10 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1999 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 25

NE BERLIN RD

Good

Over: BR OF E FK LOST CR

S 12 T 60 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2002 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 35

SW LAKESITE RD

Good

Over: BR OF W FK LOST CR

S 9 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 15

SW FRANK ROSS RD

Good

Over: BR OF MORGAN BR

S 6 T 58 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2000 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 35

NW KING RD

Good

Over: ELM GROVE BR

S 11 T 60 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2001 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 15

SE OFFUTT RD

Good

Over: W FK LOST CR

S 35 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2003 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 35

SW KERNS RD

Good

Over: BR OF JORDAN CREEK

S 14 T 57 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 35

NW GOSPEL RD

Poor

Over: BR OF THIRD FK PLA

S 3 T 59 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 5

WATER STREET

Poor

Over: BR OF LOST CR

S 3 T 58 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1933 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

NE SANTA ROSA RD

Poor

Over: MUDDY CR

S 24 T 60 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 5

NW POLK RD

Poor

Over: TRIB THIRD FK PLAT

S 26 T 60 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1983 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 35

SE FROST RD

Poor

Over: WHEELER CR

S 31 T 58 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1995 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 50

NE PLEASANT RD

Poor

Over: MUDDY CR

S 16 T 60 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2009 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 10

SE ADAMS RD

Poor

Over: BR OF LAZY CREEK

S 36 T 59 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 22.5 t ADT: 5

SW KETCHEM RD

Poor

Over: THIRD FK PLATTE RV

S 15 T 58 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1990 Load: 22.5 t ADT: 20

NW FAIRMONT RD

Poor

Over: 3RD FK OF PLATTE R

S 22 T 59 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1994 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 35

SE GRIDLEY RD

Poor

Over: BR OF WHEELER CR

S 30 T 58 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 35

NW GOSPEL RD

Poor

Over: CROOKED CR

S 1 T 59 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1930 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 20

NW GLENWOOD RD

Poor

Over: 3RD FK OF PLATTE R

S 22 T 59 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 35

SW KETCHEM RD

Poor

Over: LIT THIRD FK

S 17 T 58 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1920 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 15

NW LIBERTY RD

Poor

Over: BULL CR

S 21 T 60 N R 33 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2001 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 5

NE HEIMBAUGH RD

Poor

Over: IRVINS BR

S 14 T 59 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2002 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 25

NW CRABILL RD

Poor

Over: LIT THIRD FK

S 15 T 59 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1920 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 5

SW ORCHARD RD

Poor

Over: BR OF LIT THIRD FK

S 29 T 58 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2004 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 15

SE FRANK ROSS RD

Poor

Over: RICE CR

S 2 T 58 N R 30 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 2002 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 20

NW LAKESITE RD

Poor

Over: TRIB OF LOST CR

S 16 T 59 N R 31 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1998 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 10

US 36 E

Poor

Over: E FK CASTILE CR

S 14 T 57 N R 32 W, DeKalb, MO

Built 1966 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 5,179
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.