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Traffic heat map of Carter County, Missouri: 153 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on US 60 and James Street

Carter County, Missouri Traffic Counts

How busy are the roads of Carter County, Missouri? We measure 153 road miles, divided into 765 segments, with multi-sourced, cross-verified mobile and sensor data. Its busiest road, US 60, carries 7,578 vehicles a day, 5.2 times the average road. The breakdown below covers volume, trucks, congestion and driver profiles for retailers, logistics planners and engineers.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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total traffic icon

Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Carter County, Missouri

Traffic

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

vehicles per day1,458
Trucks

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

11.7%
Average travel time

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

32.5 min
Congestion ratio

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

4.8%
Drivers’ average age

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

51.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income

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

$49,021

A typical monitored road in Carter County, Missouri sees 1,458 vehicles per day, while its 153 miles of monitored roads together handle 267,221 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈97.5 million per year). Trucks are 11.7% of traffic, more than the 9.8% across Missouri.

Congestion 75% below the Missouri average

Carter sees 74% lower average daily traffic volume than the state average (1,458 vehicles per day against 5,631), suggesting less demand on each road - quiet roads that suit freight movement more than drive-by retail. Across the whole network, that travel is about 0.2% of Missouri's statewide total. Carter carries less traffic than 76% of counties in Missouri.

The average trip takes 32.5 minutes, on par with the state level. Its average travel time of 32.5 minutes is longer than 51% of counties in Missouri.

Congestion runs 75% lower than the state level, at a ratio of 4.8%, 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 Carter County, Missouri

Trafficvehicles per day2,780
Trucks12.5%
Average travel time45.7 min
Congestion ratio8.5%
Drivers’ average age51.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$49,642

The vast majority of driving in Carter County, Missouri happens on highways: 83% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 2,780 vehicles per day, 177% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 1,003 vehicles per day.

With 52% of the road miles (80 miles in 196 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 222,662 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈81.3 million per year).

The fewest highway trucks of any county in Missouri

The concentration of trucks on highways (12.5%) is 7% lower than the state average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for Missouri: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

By truck concentration, highways here trail 66% of counties in Missouri. By raw volume, Carter carries the lowest number of highway trucks in Missouri - roughly 348 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Carter County, Missouri

Trafficvehicles per day1,003
Trucks7.8%
Average travel time27.9 min
Congestion ratio3.6%
Drivers’ average age51.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$47,188

Local roads carry a smaller share of travel in Carter County, Missouri, 17% of vehicle-miles; most driving happens on highways. A typical local road sees 1,003 vehicles per day.

Spread over 73 miles and 569 segments, 48% of the road network, local roads carry a lighter load per mile: 44,558 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈16.3 million per year). About 1 in 13 vehicles on non-highway roads is a truck (7.8%).

Drivers from lower-income areas than 96% of counties in Missouri

The concentration of trucks on non-highway roads is 38% lower than on highways.

Non-highway congestion (3.6%) runs 81% lower than the state average, pointing to smoother local traffic flow.

Trip origins here have lower average income than 96% of counties in Missouri. The driver population here skews older than 80% of counties in Missouri.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 68% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are somewhat quieter: volumes run about 10% below weekday levels, the usual weekend dip.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +11% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -21% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Carter County, Missouri, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +11% in high season.

Carter County vs. Missouri Traffic Comparison

Carter County's biggest difference from the Missouri average is its average daily traffic per road, 74% below it. Its truck share, by contrast, is 19% above.

MetricCarter CountyMissouri averageDifference
Traffic1,4585,631-74.1%
Truck % (Total Traffic)11.7%9.8%+19.0%
Truck % (Highway)12.5%13.4%-7.3%
Avg. Travel Time32.5 min31.3 min+3.8%

How Carter County compares

Carter County against nearby counties

Nothing in this table sets Carter County sharply apart from the 4 areas nearest to it, though it has the third busiest roads of the five. The same kind of road, simply more of it: traffic per road matches the areas around it while the network itself is larger.

Carter County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the Missouri average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Carter County1,45811.7%267,22132.5 min4.8%
Shannon County, Missouri1,07413.2%211,47829.2 minN/A
Reynolds County, Missouri81611.2%96,67931.2 minN/A
Wayne County, Missouri1,51111.3%280,95228.3 min10.4%
Ripley County, Missouri2,2328.3%207,06630.0 minN/A
Missouri average5,6319.8%N/A31.3 min19.4%

Carter County ranked within Missouri

No county-level area in Missouri records a lower highway truck volume than Carter County.

Carter County ranked among 115 county-level areas in Missouri (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 93.
MeasureCarter CountyMissouri rank
Traffic volume (AADT)1,458#88 of 115
Highway vehicle-miles per day222,662#75 of 93
Truck share on highways12.5%#62 of 93
Highway trucks per day347#93 of 93
Average travel time32.5 min#57 of 115
Average driver income$49,021#111 of 115
Average driver age51.1 yrs#24 of 115

The two ends of this table sit far apart: #24 of 115 on average driver age, against #93 of 93 on highway truck volume.

Busiest roads in Carter County, Missouri

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Carter County carry 4,679 vehicles a day on average, 3.2 times the typical road in the county (1,458).

US 60 leads with 7,578 vehicles a day, 970 of them trucks (12.8%). No other road comes close: James Street, in second place, carries 3,324. It also carries the most trucks.

MO 21 carries longer journeys than most roads here, with a median trip of 47.8 minutes against 32.5 county-wide.

State Highway V draws drivers from wealthier areas: their neighborhoods average $68,214 in household income, 39% above the county's $49,021, while those on Main Street average $32,609, 33% below it.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1US 60Trunk road · 7,578vehicles970trucks · 12.8%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
9.4%
Median trip time
38.4 min
Drivers’ median age
50.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$58,913

A main artery: US 60's busiest stretch carries 5.2 times the county average; trucks are 12.8% of it, above the county-wide 11.7%.

2James StreetSecondary road · 3,324vehicles217trucks · 6.5%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
27.7 min
Drivers’ median age
52.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$38,675

James Street carries 2.3 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 27.7 minutes.

3Main StreetSecondary road · 3,136vehicles215trucks · 6.9%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
24.7 min
Drivers’ median age
50.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$32,609

At 2.2 times the county average, Main Street draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $32,609 in household income.

4US 60 BusSecondary road · 2,281vehicles167trucks · 7.3%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
27.4 min
Drivers’ median age
51.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$32,831

US 60 Bus is busy by local standards, at 56% more than the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 7.3% of it, below the county-wide 11.7%.

5State Highway VTertiary road · 2,189vehicles137trucks · 6.3%
Road class
Tertiary road
Congestion ratio
4.8%
Median trip time
23.8 min
Drivers’ median age
50.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,214

State Highway V is a local road at heart: the median trip using it lasts 23.8 minutes, against 32.5 for the county.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1US 60Trunk road · #1 by traffic7,578vehicles970trucks · 12.8%
2James StreetSecondary road · #2 by traffic3,324vehicles217trucks · 6.5%
3Main StreetSecondary road · #3 by traffic3,136vehicles215trucks · 6.9%
4US 60 BusSecondary road · #4 by traffic2,281vehicles167trucks · 7.3%
5MO 21Primary road · 1,799vehicles139trucks · 7.8%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
47.8 min
Drivers’ median age
51.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$43,411

MO 21 peaks at 1,799 vehicles a day, 23% more than the county average; trucks are 7.8% of it, below the county-wide 11.7%.

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

CarterDepartment 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 Carter County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Carter County, Missouri.

Need segment-level traffic data?

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