County profile · official public datasets

Cook County, IL

1,721 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 28.8% rated Good, 57.5% Fair, 13.8% Poor.

1,721
Public bridges
28.8%
Good condition
13.8%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Cook County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

88th
of 102 on Poor share
13.8%
Poor-condition share
1,721
public highway bridges
1969
avg year built

Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.

Cook County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Cook County ranks #88 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 13.8%). Cook County, Illinois contains 1,721 public highway bridges. Roughly 28.8% are rated “Good,” 57.5% “Fair,” and 13.8% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.

Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.

Total bridges

1,721

Public highway bridges in Cook County

Good condition

28.8%

495 of 1,721 rated 7-9

Fair condition

57.5%

989 of 1,721 rated 5-6

Poor condition

13.8%

237 of 1,721 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#88 of 102

Among Illinois counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 1,721 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
28.8% (495)
Fair
57.5% (989)
Poor
13.8% (237)

Cook County's Poor-condition bridges carry 5,864,125 vehicle crossings a day

That is 10% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 13.8% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 24,743 crossings a day against 30,089 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.

Computed over the 1,714 of 1,721 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

65.7% of Cook County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

1,130 of the 1,721 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 28.8% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.

Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

One structure carries 4.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I- 90 94 RYAN ELEV over CANAL TO STEWART STS, built 1962, carries 256,900 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 237-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 5,864,125 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Cook County's bridges were built

1,721 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1950s, when 446 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 25.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 65 to 74 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1969, 10 years older than the Illinois average of 1979.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Cook County compares with Illinois's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Illinois counties nearest Cook County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 13.8% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1969 against a peer-group mean of 1981 is 12 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 101 Illinois counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Cook County and the 5 Illinois counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Cook County (this page) 1,721 13.8%
Champaign County 727 8.7%
Will County 649 10.5%
McLean County 624 2.9%
Livingston County 579 8.3%
Iroquois County 570 14.4%

Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Cook County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year

Two NBI-derived peer sets for Cook County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IL (1,721 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1969 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 1,721 Good 495 Fair 989 Poor 237

Good-condition bridges (495)

I- 94 WB TO IL 394

Good

Over: I- 80 94

RAMP WB TO SB, Cook, IL

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,900

KEDZIE AVE

Good

Over: STONEY CREEK

0.05 M S 127TH ST, Cook, IL

Built 1969 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,700

IL 83 (CAL SAG RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.2 M E US 45, Cook, IL

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,000

147TH ST

Good

Over: BACA RIO DITCH

1.7 MI W. ILL. 83, Cook, IL

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,000

PAW PAW AVENUE

Good

Over: MARLEYS CREEK

0.2 M N 167TH ST, Cook, IL

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

STUART AVENUE

Good

Over: MARLEYS CREEK

0.25 M N 167TH ST, Cook, IL

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 400

FIRE STA. 3 Dr.

Good

Over: LANSING DITCH

0.16 MI N.Glenwood L, Cook, IL

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

FAU-2723 (POTTER R

Good

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

.15 M N DEMPSTER ST, Cook, IL

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,700

WALTERS AVE

Good

Over: N BR CHICAGO RIVER

0.5 M W ILL 43 P14, Cook, IL

Built 1926 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,800

171ST ST

Good

Over: MIDLOTHIAN CREEK

0.2 M W OAK PARK P3, Cook, IL

Built 1900 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,250

Weiland Road

Good

Over: Buffalo Creek

157 Ft W IL Rt 83, Cook, IL

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,650

BUFFALO GROVE RD

Good

Over: BUFFALO CR

1 M W DUNDEE RD P25, Cook, IL

Built 1977 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,400

QUENTIN RDPALATNE

Good

Over: Salt Creek

1.8 MI.S DUNDEE RD., Cook, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,000

SAUK TRAIL

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

0.25M W COTTAGE GROV, Cook, IL

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,900

WEST LAKE AV

Good

Over: DESPLAINES R SLOUGH

.15M E.OFUS45, Cook, IL

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,000

WEST LAKE AV

Good

Over: DESPLAINES RIVER

.2M E. OF US45, Cook, IL

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,000

GRANT RD

Good

Over: C.&N.W. RR

0.4M N. VOLTZ RD, Cook, IL

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 400

VOLTZ RD

Good

Over: C&NW RR

0.2 M E IL-43, Cook, IL

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,700

SAUK TRAIL RD

Good

Over: HICKORY CREEK

.20M W CENTRAL AV, Cook, IL

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,900

179TH ST

Good

Over: MARLEY CREEK

.55M W OF WOLF RD, Cook, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,100

OTIS RD

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

0.8 MI E BRINKER RD, Cook, IL

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 525

VOLLMER RD

Good

Over: TRIB FLOSSMOOR DITCH

.35M E IL43, Cook, IL

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,100

GLENWOOD-LANSING R

Good

Over: LANSING DRAIN DITCH

1M E TORRENCE AV, Cook, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,100

SAUK TRAIL

Good

Over: THIRD CREEK

.44M W. OF STATE ST., Cook, IL

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 17,800

MS-1170

Good

Over: W Br DuPage River

S. OF IL RTE 19, Cook, IL

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 650

IRVING PARK ROAD

Good

Over: N. BR. CHICAGO RIVER

4000 N. AND 2650 W., Cook, IL

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 29,000

CLARK ST

Good

Over: LAND

100W.& 1100S., Cook, IL

Built 1921 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,950

WACKER DRIVE

Good

Over: LOWER LVL WACKER DR

MICHIGAN TO RANDOLPH, Cook, IL

Built 1926 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,200

HALSTED ST N CULVE

Good

Over: FUTURE PEDESTRIAN WA

1047 N. Halsted St., Cook, IL

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,050

HALSTED ST S CULVE

Good

Over: FUTURE PEDESTRIAN WA

1047 N. Halsted St., Cook, IL

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,050

CHESTNUT AVENUE

Good

Over: W F N BR CHICAGO RIV

0.5 M NE LAKE P14, Cook, IL

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,700

WATERSIDE DRIVE

Good

Over: PARKING GARAGE

300N & 400E TO 440E, Cook, IL

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,500

SOLIDARITY DRIVE E

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

1250 S. & 700 E., Cook, IL

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,300

SOLIDARITY DRIVE W

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

1250 S. & 700 E., Cook, IL

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,300

ADAMS STREET

Good

Over: UNION STATION TRKS

CHGO RIV TO CANAL ST, Cook, IL

Built 1924 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,600

JACKSON BOULEVARD

Good

Over: UNION STATION TRACKS

CHGO RVR TO CANAL ST, Cook, IL

Built 1923 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,550

Springfield Avenue

Good

Over: Stoney Creek

0.06 MI S 123RD ST, Cook, IL

Built 1972 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

S CANAL ST

Good

Over: BNSF RR

1600 S & 500 W, Cook, IL

Built 1930 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,800

HASSEL RD

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

0.3 M E BARGTN RDP2, Cook, IL

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,050

HASSEL ROAD

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

1.3 M E BRNGTN RDP22, Cook, IL

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,500

DAMEN AVE.

Good

Over: PRIVATE PROPERTY

2800S. & 2000W., Cook, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 21,900

W. 29TH STREET

Good

Over: PRIVATE PROPERTY

2900S. & 2000W., Cook, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,700

E 57TH DRIVE

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

5700 S LAKE SHORE DR, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,700

LAKE SHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

5700 S LAKE SHORE DR, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 94,800

LAKE SHORE DR

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

5900 S LAKE SHORE DR, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 36,700

LAKE SHORE DR

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

6600 S LAKE SHORE DR, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 36,700

LAKE SHORE DR

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

6300 S LAKE SHORE DR, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 36,700

N. CENTRAL AVE

Good

Over: METRA & ARMITAGE AVE

5600 W & 2000 N, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,200

FOREST GLEN AV

Good

Over: N BRANCH CHICAGO RIV

5650 N & 5000 W, Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,650

N CENTRAL AV

Good

Over: ACCESS DR

5600W. & 1950N., Cook, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,200

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.