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Traffic heat map of McDonald County, Missouri: 286 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 49 and US 71

McDonald County, Missouri Traffic Counts

Our McDonald County, Missouri traffic data covers 3,199 road segments over 286 road miles, with an average segment of just 471 ft. Its busiest road, I 49, carries 21,118 vehicles a day, 8.7 times the average road. Whether you are evaluating a new retail location, planning routes or assessing infrastructure, these numbers replace guesswork.
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 McDonald County, Missouri

Traffic

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

vehicles per day2,425
Trucks

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

11.2%
Average travel time

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

34.9 min
Congestion ratio

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

10.6%
Drivers’ average age

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

45.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income

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

$58,577

A typical monitored road in McDonald County, Missouri sees 2,425 vehicles per day, while its 286 miles of monitored roads together handle 840,023 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈307 million per year). Trucks are 11.2% of traffic, close to the 9.8% across Missouri.

Longer trips than 81% of counties in Missouri

McDonald's average daily traffic volume is 57% lower than the state average - 2,425 vehicles per day against 5,631 - suggesting less traffic load per road - very light roads: easy truck access, but little passing trade for roadside retail. Across the whole network, that travel is about 0.5% of Missouri's statewide total. McDonald carries more traffic than 55% of counties in Missouri.

The average trip takes 34.9 minutes, 12% higher than the state level. Its average travel time of 34.9 minutes is longer than 81% of counties in Missouri.

The congestion ratio of 10.6% is 45% lower, pointing to smoother traffic flow than the state level - travel times are easy to plan around for scheduled deliveries.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in McDonald County, Missouri

Trafficvehicles per day8,759
Trucks16.2%
Average travel time52.3 min
Congestion ratio22.3%
Drivers’ average age45.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$68,675

Highways carry a significant share of travel in McDonald County, Missouri: 36% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 8,759 vehicles per day, 286% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 2,270 vehicles per day.

With 13% of the road miles (38 miles in 76 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 304,274 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈111 million per year).

Freight-heavy highways

At 16.2%, highway truck share is 20% higher than the state average. Highways here lean toward freight, so highway access is a real asset for logistics operators.

By truck concentration, highways here outrank 64% of counties in Missouri. By raw truck volume, McDonald carries more highway trucks than 51% of counties in Missouri.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in McDonald County, Missouri

Trafficvehicles per day2,270
Trucks8.4%
Average travel time34.5 min
Congestion ratio10.4%
Drivers’ average age45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income$55,677

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in McDonald County, Missouri (64% of vehicle-miles). The average non-highway road carries 2,270 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 87% of the monitored road miles (248 miles in 3,123 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 535,750 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈196 million per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 8.4%.

Younger drivers than 89% of counties in Missouri

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 48% fewer trucks by share.

At 45% lower than the state level, the non-highway congestion ratio of 10.4% signals easier movement on local roads.

McDonald's average driver income is lower than 68% of counties in Missouri. 89% of counties in Missouri have an older driver population than McDonald.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–9:00 AM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 66% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekend traffic is about as busy as on weekdays (-4%): leisure and through trips largely replace the commute.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +9% 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 McDonald County, Missouri, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a noticeable seasonal swing of +9% in high season.

McDonald County vs. Missouri Traffic Comparison

The average daily traffic per road sets McDonald County apart: 57% below the Missouri average. Its highway truck share, by contrast, is 20% above.

MetricMcDonald CountyMissouri averageDifference
Traffic2,4255,631-56.9%
Truck % (Total Traffic)11.2%9.8%+14.6%
Truck % (Highway)16.2%13.4%+20.3%
Avg. Travel Time34.9 min31.3 min+11.5%

How McDonald County compares

McDonald County against nearby counties

Set against the average of the 4 areas nearest to it, McDonald County carries 52.8% less traffic on a typical road and moves 31.9% of the total daily travel; it has the quietest roads of the five. Smaller and quieter on both counts: a shorter network than the areas around it, carrying lighter traffic across it.

McDonald 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
McDonald County2,42511.2%840,02334.9 min10.6%
Newton County, Missouri5,29712.3%2,317,01633.4 min9.4%
Benton County, Arkansas7,8316.4%6,428,25933.5 min18.1%
Barry County, Missouri2,5197.7%725,03837.6 min9.1%
Ottawa County, Oklahoma4,91319.2%1,060,56333.2 min10.6%
Missouri average5,6319.8%N/A31.3 min19.4%

McDonald County ranked within Missouri

Average driver age places McDonald County #103 of 115 in Missouri - the bottom quarter of the state.

McDonald County ranked among 115 county-level areas in Missouri (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 93.
MeasureMcDonald CountyMissouri rank
Traffic volume (AADT)2,425#52 of 115
Highway vehicle-miles per day304,274#64 of 93
Truck share on highways16.2%#34 of 93
Highway trucks per day1,417#46 of 93
Average travel time34.9 min#23 of 115
Average driver income$58,577#78 of 115
Average driver age45.4 yrs#103 of 115

McDonald County ranks #23 of 115 on average travel time but #103 of 115 on average driver age - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in McDonald County, Missouri

The three busiest roads in McDonald County average 16,735 vehicles a day, 6.9 times the county average of 2,425 across all its monitored roads.

I 49 is the busiest road, at 21,118 vehicles a day, 3,324 of them trucks (15.7%). It also carries the most trucks.

Trips using I 49 are long: a median of 52.3 minutes against 34.9 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 49Motorway · 21,118vehicles3,324trucks · 15.7%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
22.3%
Median trip time
52.3 min
Drivers’ median age
45.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,640

Delays build on I 49: its congestion ratio of 22% over free-flow time is well above the county's 11%.

2US 71Primary road · 15,262vehicles1,470trucks · 9.6%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
42.2 min
Drivers’ median age
44.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$69,069

A main artery: US 71's busiest stretch carries 6.3 times the county average; trucks are 9.6% of it, below the county-wide 11.2%.

3MO 59Primary road · 13,825vehicles841trucks · 6.1%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
32.4 min
Drivers’ median age
46.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$53,586

MO 59 is a trunk route for the county, carrying 5.7 times the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 6.1% of it, below the county-wide 11.2%.

4Marshall StreetPrimary road · 13,415vehicles896trucks · 6.7%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
31.4 min
Drivers’ median age
47.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$53,496

Marshall Street carries 5.5 times the county average at its busiest, 896 of them trucks (6.7%, below the county-wide 11.2%).

5Old United States Route 71Primary road · 12,724vehicles717trucks · 5.6%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
28.4 min
Drivers’ median age
46.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$52,617

Old United States Route 71 carries 5.2 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 28.4 minutes.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 49Motorway · #1 by traffic21,118vehicles3,324trucks · 15.7%
2US 71Primary road · #2 by traffic15,262vehicles1,470trucks · 9.6%
3Marshall StreetPrimary road · #4 by traffic13,415vehicles896trucks · 6.7%
4MO 59Primary road · #3 by traffic13,825vehicles841trucks · 6.1%
5MO 59 / MO 90Primary road · 5,342vehicles821trucks · 15.4%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
36.2 min
Drivers’ median age
45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$53,675

The busiest stretch of MO 59 / MO 90 carries 2.2 times the county average; trucks are 15.4% of it, above the county-wide 11.2%.

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

McDonaldDepartment 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 McDonald County

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

Need segment-level traffic data?

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