Sinkhole risk in Callaway County, MO: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 62%
At or near the surface: 28%
Buried under cover: 34%

What this means before you buy

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 517 of Callaway County's 835 square miles on soluble rock, 235 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 45,126 residents (54 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 308 map points about 1.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 34% under cover still counts, and the signs to look for and how an inspection works.

Counties around Callaway County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Osage County, MO, about 26 miles south, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Boone County, MO 23 mi northwest · 27% at surface
Montgomery County, MO 26 mi east · 30% at surface
Osage County, MO 26 mi south · 93% at surface
Audrain County, MO 27 mi north · 0% at surface
Cole County, MO 30 mi southwest · 94% at surface
Gasconade County, MO 35 mi southeast · 97% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Marmaton Group (limestone), Middle Pennsylvanian-Middle Series-Desmonian Stage in age, covering about 20% of the county. Next is the Osagean Series at 17%.

Against the rest of Missouri

Callaway County ranks 64 of 115 in Missouri for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 78% of US counties on that measure.