County profile · official public datasets

Howell County, MO

189 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 34.4% rated Good, 63.5% Fair, 2.1% Poor.

189
Public bridges
34.4%
Good condition
2.1%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Howell County pairs a top-1% lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

Top 1%
lowest Poor share in state
2.1%
Poor-condition share
189
public highway bridges
1966
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.

Howell County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Howell County ranks #1 of 115 Missouri counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 2.1%). Howell County, Missouri contains 189 public highway bridges. Roughly 34.4% are rated “Good,” 63.5% “Fair,” and 2.1% “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

189

Public highway bridges in Howell County

Good condition

34.4%

65 of 189 rated 7-9

Fair condition

63.5%

120 of 189 rated 5-6

Poor condition

2.1%

4 of 189 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#1 of 115

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

Condition distribution

Share of 189 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
34.4% (65)
Fair
63.5% (120)
Poor
2.1% (4)

Howell County's Poor-condition bridges carry 13,409 vehicle crossings a day

That is 2.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 2.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,352 crossings a day against 2,523 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 189 of 189 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

63% of Howell County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

119 of the 189 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 34.4% 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 57.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 63 S over BNSF RR, built 1955, carries 7,737 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 4-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 13,409 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Howell County's bridges were built

189 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 34 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1966, 13 years older than the Missouri average of 1979.

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

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

The 5 Missouri counties nearest Howell County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 2.1% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1966 against a peer-group mean of 1984 is 18 years older.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Howell County and the 5 Missouri counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Atchison County 191 9.4%
Lincoln County 189 3.7%
Webster County 189 8.5%
Howell County (this page) 189 2.1%
Grundy County 187 11.2%
Marion County 186 9.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MO (189 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MO (1966 here).

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

All bridges (189)

RT E S

Fair

Over: S FORK CR

S 5 T 22 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1934 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 1,264

RT E S

Fair

Over: HAWKINS BR

S 29 T 22 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1934 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 1,264

MO 142 E

Fair

Over: PARRIS BR

S 31 T 22 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1935 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 338

RT E S

Fair

Over: MARTIN VALLEY

S 6 T 21 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1935 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 920

MO 142 E

Fair

Over: PRESSLEY BR

S 1 T 21 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1951 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 794

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: HAY HOLLOW

S 10 T 22 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,496

MO 142 E

Fair

Over: HUNT BR

S 31 T 22 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1949 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 192

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: ELEVEN POINT RVR

S 25 T 26 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1958 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 1,046

RT PP S

Fair

Over: SEARS BR

S 34 T 23 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1956 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 206

RT BB S

Fair

Over: GUNTERS VALLEY

S 3 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1954 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 1,416

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: LITTLE CR

S 12 T 25 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1963 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 1,014

US 63 S

Fair

Over: MUSTION CR

S 35 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1952 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 6,091

RT ZZ E

Fair

Over: LIT GRESSY CR

S 30 T 24 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1959 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 1,159

MO 142 E

Fair

Over: CORN CR

S 33 T 22 N R 10 W, Howell, MO

Built 1953 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 520

RT EE E

Fair

Over: DRY BR

S 33 T 25 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1955 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 314

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: JAM UP CR

S 22 T 27 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1933 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 2,579

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: MCGINT HOLLOW

S 10 T 22 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1950 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 2,496

RT HH S

Fair

Over: PINE CR

S 5 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1956 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 103

RT JJ S

Fair

Over: BR OF SOUTH FK

S 18 T 23 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1955 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,819

US 160 E

Fair

Over: BR OF HOWELL CR

S 14 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1931 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 2,305

US 160 E

Fair

Over: DRY WASH

S 15 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1931 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 5,217

ST LOUIS ST

Fair

Over: HOWELL CR

S 21 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1969 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 2,000

RT MM S

Fair

Over: SPITZER HOLLOW

S 27 T 23 N R 10 W, Howell, MO

Built 1960 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 368

RT K E

Fair

Over: WILLIS CR

S 33 T 24 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1963 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 753

COUNTY RD 4990

Fair

Over: ELEVEN POINT RVR

S 32 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

MO 137 S

Fair

Over: W BR ELEVEN POINTS

S 30 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1939 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,661

RT WW S

Fair

Over: KENAGA HOLLOW

S 9 T 26 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 916

RT YY S

Fair

Over: HALSEY BR

S 30 T 22 N R 10 W, Howell, MO

Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 129

BU 63 S

Fair

Over: HORAK BR

S 29 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1936 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 7,317

RT ZZ E

Fair

Over: BIG GRESSY CR

S 28 T 24 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1959 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 1,159

RT DD E

Fair

Over: DRY BR

S 21 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1962 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 268

RT JJ S

Fair

Over: W FK SPRING RVR

S 13 T 22 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 2000 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 1,819

OR 63 S

Fair

Over: ELEVEN POINT RVR

S 33 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1969 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 9,672

BU 63 S

Fair

Over: BR HOWELL CR

S 17 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1921 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 10,648

MO 17 S

Fair

Over: BR MUSTION BR

S 33 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1950 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 2,988

RT K E

Fair

Over: FOREST BR

S 6 T 23 N R 10 W, Howell, MO

Built 1963 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 753

RT K E

Fair

Over: BREEDLO BR

S 32 T 24 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1963 Load: 35.1 t ADT: 753

US 60 E

Fair

Over: DRY BR

S 33 T 26 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1965 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,284

US 63 S

Fair

Over: DRY WASH

S 10 T 23 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1955 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,737

US 63 S

Fair

Over: CHAPIN CR

S 1 T 23 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1921 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 7,737

US 63 S

Fair

Over: DRY WASH

S 9 T 23 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1955 Load: 38.7 t ADT: 7,737

RT DD E

Fair

Over: DRY CR

S 22 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1962 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 268

US 60 E

Fair

Over: ELEVEN POINT RVR CST RA

S 32 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 2001 Load: 41.4 t ADT: 6,604

RT WW S

Fair

Over: BR OF KENAGA CR

S 4 T 26 N R 7 W, Howell, MO

Built 1960 Load: 41.4 t ADT: 916

US 160 E

Fair

Over: MUSTION CR

S 32 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1963 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 9,610

US 63 S

Fair

Over: HOWELL CR

S 17 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1962 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 13,766

PADGETT ST

Fair

Over: S FK OF HOWELL CR

S 18 T 24 N R 32 W, Howell, MO

Built 2002 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,000

US 60 W

Fair

Over: HUTTON BR

S 36 T 27 N R 9 W, Howell, MO

Built 1922 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 7,661

BU 63 S

Fair

Over: US 60

S 13 T 27 N R 10 W, Howell, MO

Built 2003 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 766

US 63 S

Fair

Over: S BR HOWELL CR

S 19 T 24 N R 8 W, Howell, MO

Built 1962 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 14,544
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.