Missouri Route 87


Route 87 is a highway in central Missouri. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 54 in Eldon, and its northern terminus is at Route 5/240 in Glasgow. Parts of the road are overlapped by the Lewis and Clark Trail and Santa Fe Trail.

Route description

Missouri Route 87 begins at an interchange along U.S. Route 54 which is also shared by "Highway M." The route runs northwest and then curve west just before an abandoned Rock Island railroad crossing. The route continues west until it encounters the intersection with U.S. Business Route 54, where it makes a right turn an runs northeast in an overlap. At the intersection with Manor Drive, MO 87 leaves the concurrency with US BUS 54 and runs straight north, running along the east side of Eldon Model Airpark. The northern trajectory ends at the intersection of Boulder Road where MO 87 makes a right curve and resumes later at the blinker-light intersection with "Highway P," which leads east to Olean. Further north, it crosses a bridge over South Moreau Creek, and later the Miller-Moniteau County Line. Within Moniteau County, and well as much of the route, the surroundings are primarily rural and agricultural, and the road runs along various hills and ridges. Among the few developed communities, MO 87 runs east of High Point where the closest representation to a major intersection is a blinker-light intersection with "Highway C." The road continues to meander through the rural agricultural hills of Central Missouri, until it approaches a partial cloverleaf interchange with U.S. Route 50, the northwest quadrant of which includes a decorative welcome sign for California. North of there, MO 87 is named Oak Street. The route doesn't officially enter California until between the intersections with Kevin Street and Quail Hollow Road. With a few exceptions, the surroundings along Route 87 are primarily residential until the road approaches U.S. Business Route 50. Continuing through downtown California, it later it crosses a pair of railroad lines formerly owned by Missouri Pacific Railroad. At Main Street, MO 87 makes a right turn and Oak Street becomes "Highway O." Route 87 runs along Main Street for two blocks, then turns north again at East Street. North of Walnut Street, the route curves northeast as it leaves the city limits and becomes Jamestown Road, resuming its run through the rural hills of Moniteau County. It passes through Kliever, and later crosses a bridge over Moniteau Creek. The route enters Jamestown just as it curves to the west at South Mill Street, then at the intersection with West Row Street joins up in a concurrency with Missouri Route 179. MO 87/189 turn out of town back to the north and later the northwest. After the end of the concurrency with MO 179, MO 87 curves to the west. Between the intersections of two dirt roads, Homestead Road and Splice Creek Drive, it crosses the Moniteau-Cooper County Line and enters Prairie Home. Shortly after the intersection with "Highway D," it turns northwest again, gradually curving toward the north after leaving that community and running through rural Cooper County.
In Windsor Place, MO 87 encounters an interchange with Interstate 70 and is joined by the east end of Business Loop 70, which it overlaps towards the northwest, passing by a golf course. Sparse development can be seen along the way, and further northwest the road serves as the western terminus of Missouri Route 98, joining part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Entering Boonville, the route becomes Bingham Road, which has more suburban surroundings. The route later makes a right turn at "Highway B" and becomes Main Street. Over two blocks later, the route is joined by U.S. Route 40 in Missouri, Missouri Route 5 and the Santa Fe Trail, which is where BL-70 makes a left turn. US 40/MO 5/70 runs north along Main Street through historic downtown Boonville, and after the intersection with High Street, crosses the Boonslick Bridge over the Missouri River, crossing the Cooper-Howard County Line, entering Franklin. Immediately after crossing the bridge, MO 87 leaves the concurrency with US 40 and MO 5 and turns left, taking the Santa Fe Trail with it.
MO 87 and the Santa Fe Trail run in relative proximity to the north bank of the Missouri River crossing the Katy Trail State Park until just before the intersection with Howard County Road 339, and moves further away at the intersection with "Highway Z," which continues the previous trajectory towards Petersburg. From there, the road shifts at varying northwest angles. The road heads west-northwest as it enters Boonesboro and then has an overlap with "Highway J," which ends just after MO 87 makes a sharp right curve to the north. Well after leaving what passes for "downtown Boonesboro," it makes a long right curve as it approaches the east end of Missouri Route 187, which leads to the Boone's Lick State Historic Site. Turning back north, little else can be found as the road winds through the rural and agricultural lands of western Howard County, though near a USDA water tower are the intersections of Howard CR 316 and 314. North of Howard CR 308 is a bridge over Richland Creek with a church and cemetery on the northeast corner, and Howard CR 306 dividing the two. From there, it has a brief overlap with "Highway E" which is shared by a bridge over Blue Creek. Later it climbs a hill to reach the shared intersections with Howard County Roads 220 and 218, then descends as it approaches the western terminus of "Highway AA," just before crossing a bridge over Hurricane Creek. The route starts to curve to the northwest and is joined by another overlap with MO 5, this time also shared by Missouri Route 240. MO 5/87/240 officially enter Glasgow, just before crossing a bridge over Greggs Creek, then crosses a railroad line before heading west, running parallel to another railroad line, owned by Kansas City Southern Railway. Missouri Route 87 ends at the northern terminus of the overlap between MO 5 and MO 240, the former of which joins MO BUS 240, while MO 240 continues west to cross another bridge over the Missouri River.

Intersections