Frost Line Depth in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
- Missouri range from verified codes
- Checked Oct 2026
No official local value
No official frost line depth is published for Cape Girardeau County.
No verified code nearby; verified Missouri codes range 30–36 in.
Source and how we checked
We searched this place’s own code and website and found no published frost line depth.
Climate: 91 nights a year at or below 32 °F (NOAA 1991–2020, Jackson, 1.1 mi).
Checked Oct 2026. Report a correction
Does Cape Girardeau County have an official frost line depth?
No adopted frost line depth found for Cape Girardeau County in its official documents (checked Oct 2026). No verified code lies near Cape Girardeau County; the Missouri codes we verified range from 30 to 36 in. Ask the building department for Cape Girardeau County’s own number before you dig.
What frost line depth does Cape Girardeau County use for footings under Table R301.2(1)?
How deep do footings, decks and water lines need to be in Cape Girardeau County?
Drawn with the deepest Missouri official value (36 in). Confirm Cape Girardeau County’s own depth before you dig.
House or garage footing in Cape Girardeau County: dig at least 36 in (91 cm). Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4).
| Project | Depth | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| House or garage footing | 36 in | Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R403.1.4) |
| Deck footing (attached) | 36 in | Below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC R507.3) |
| Water service line | 42 in | 6 in below the frost line and at least 12 in deep (IRC P2603.5) |
| Fence post bottom | 36 in | No code rule; common practice is below the frost line |
Work out posts, concrete and footing sizes with the fence post depth calculator or the deck footing calculator.
How cold does it get in Cape Girardeau County?
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
Average lows are at or below freezing from Dec to Feb. 91 nights a year reach 32 °F or colder; Jan is coldest, with an average low of 23.7 °F.
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jackson station, 1.1 mi away, elevation 440 ft.
Monthly temperatures as a table
| °F | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 23.7 | 26.6 | 35.3 | 45.7 | 56.4 | 65.3 | 68.9 | 67.1 | 58.7 | 46.5 | 35.4 | 27.9 |
| High | 41.2 | 46.2 | 56.7 | 68.6 | 78.2 | 87 | 90.2 | 88.9 | 81.8 | 70.1 | 55.2 | 44.6 |
Cape Girardeau County has fewer freezing nights than 10 of the 11 other Missouri places we track. The Missouri median is 105. Coldest: Buchanan County; mildest: Camden County.
How likely is the soil in Cape Girardeau County to heave?
USDA rates the sampled soil around Cape Girardeau County as 2% moderate, 98% high for frost action (main soils: Menfro, Haymond, Wilbur).
USDA NRCS soil survey, 9 sample points within 2 mi. Higher frost action means more risk of heave; see frost heave.
Cape Girardeau County at a glance
- Frost line depth
- No official local value
- Population (2023 est.)
- 82,984
- Mean annual temperature
- 56.9 °F
- ZIP codes (19)
- 63701 · 63703 · 63730 · 63732 · 63739 · 63740 · 63743 · 63744 · 63745 · 63747 · 63755 · 63764 · 63766 · 63769 · 63770 · 63771 · 63775 · 63780 · 63785