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

Poor-condition bridges (237)

CANAL ST

Poor

Over: UNION STATION

500W & 200S TO 300S, Cook, IL

Built 1926 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 5,100

WOLF RD

Poor

Over: FLAG CREEK

0.9 M N 79TH P10, Cook, IL

Built 1960 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 9,850

KEDZIE AVE

Poor

Over: CAL SAG CHANNEL

1.5 M N IL 83, Cook, IL

Built 1966 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 14,700

COTTAGE GROVE AVE

Poor

Over: DEER CR

1.25 N JOE ORR P2, Cook, IL

Built 1932 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 5,100

HARRISON ST

Poor

Over: ADDISON CR

0.5 MI E US45, Cook, IL

Built 1952 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,500

Ramp to NB LL LSD

Poor

Over: LAND

500E.AND 200N., Cook, IL

Built 1986 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 4,800

WILCOX ST

Poor

Over: ADDISON CR

0.72 M E MANHEIM P20, Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 450

CHATHAM ST

Poor

Over: CAL SLOUGH

0.1 M S 136TH P24, Cook, IL

Built 1963 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 750

Armitage Avenue

Poor

Over: Silver Creek

0.2 MI W of 25TH AVE, Cook, IL

Built 1950 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 4,000

CANAL ST

Poor

Over: Land

500W-600S TO 1000S, Cook, IL

Built 1926 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 12,900

HARRISON STREET

Poor

Over: UNION STATION TRACKS

600S 360W TO 500W, Cook, IL

Built 1921 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 5,100

I- 80 EB TO I-294

Poor

Over: I-294

2.3 M W OF IL-1, Cook, IL

Built 1968 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 500

WOLF RD

Poor

Over: FLAG CREEK

0.04 M S 79TH P10, Cook, IL

Built 1963 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 1,950

167TH(170TH)ST

Poor

Over: THORN CREEK

0.4 M E I94 P24, Cook, IL

Built 1935 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 10,200

WASHINGTON ST

Poor

Over: S BR CHICAGO RIV

384 W WASHINGTON, Cook, IL

Built 1913 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 9,600

S. CALIFORNIA AVE

Poor

Over: SANITARY&SHIP CANAL

3300 S & 2800 W, Cook, IL

Built 1926 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 15,900

LAKE SHORE DR

Poor

Over: Lower LSD & Land

402 N.AND 484 E., Cook, IL

Built 1986 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 98,900

IL 1 (HALSTED ST

Poor

Over: RR - IHB

1.1 M N IL 83, Cook, IL

Built 1927 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 13,700

I-290 IKE CONGRESS

Poor

Over: THRU POST OFFICE

0.3 M E I-90&94, Cook, IL

Built 1954 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 80,900

154TH ST

Poor

Over: I- 94 BISHOP FORD

0.5 M S IL 83, Cook, IL

Built 1946 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 3,275

FAU-1405 (Lake St)

Poor

Over: S BR CHICAGO RIV

356 W LAKE ST, Cook, IL

Built 1916 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 10,250

VAN BUREN ST

Poor

Over: ADDISON CR

0.7 M E US 45, Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 450

ADAMS ST

Poor

Over: ADDISON CR

0.72 M E MANHEIM P20, Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 150

30TH AVE

Poor

Over: ADDISON CR

0.7 M E. US 45, Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 150

GAYNELLE RD

Poor

Over: MIDLOTHIAN CR

6200W-16900S P3, Cook, IL

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 325

IL 53 FAP 342

Poor

Over: Anderson Dr MS 3240

1 M S US 12, Cook, IL

Built 1965 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 92,600

IL 50/83 CICERO A

Poor

Over: CAL SAG CHANNEL

0.4 M S of 127th St, Cook, IL

Built 1938 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 32,900

KINZIE ST

Poor

Over: N BR CHICAGO RIV

423 W KINZIE, Cook, IL

Built 1909 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 6,350

MICHIGAN AVE

Poor

Over: MAIN BR CHICAGO RIV

365 N MCHIGAN AVE, Cook, IL

Built 1920 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 24,300

EWING AVE (92ND ST

Poor

Over: CALUMET RIVER

3331 E. 92ND STREET, Cook, IL

Built 1914 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 11,200

MICHIGAN AVE

Poor

Over: VARIOUS CITY STREETS

100E.& 340N.TO 200N., Cook, IL

Built 1921 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 24,300

WILLOW RD

Poor

Over: W F N BR CHICAGO RIV

1.3 M W IL 43, Cook, IL

Built 1941 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 31,700

111TH ST

Poor

Over: I- 94 BISHOP FORD

3.1 M SE I-57, Cook, IL

Built 1960 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 13,800

IL 53 SB FAP 342

Poor

Over: IL 62 FAP 339

0.3 M N I-90, Cook, IL

Built 1962 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 66,400

I-290 EB (SB)

Poor

Over: RR - UP (SOUTH)

0.6 M S IL 64, Cook, IL

Built 1958 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 59,750

CENTRAL AVE.

Poor

Over: SAN.DRAIN.&SHIP CAN.

0.15M.N.OF I-55, Cook, IL

Built 1970 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 9,000

LOOMIS ST

Poor

Over: S BR CHICAGO RIVER

2470 S 1400 W, Cook, IL

Built 1904 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 3,675

MICHIGAN AVE

Poor

Over: VARIOUS CITY STS

100E 365N TO 530N, Cook, IL

Built 1920 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 24,300

LEHIGH AVE

Poor

Over: EAST LAKE AVE EXT

0.5 M W ILL 43 P14, Cook, IL

Built 1961 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 3,650

RAND RD

Poor

Over: DES PLAINES RIVER

0.5 M NW DEMPSTER RD, Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 25,500

I-294 SB

Poor

Over: ILL 7 (SW HWY)

0.7 M SE ILL 43 P26, Cook, IL

Built 1958 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 66,500

LAKE AVE

Poor

Over: I- 94 EDENS

2.7 M N IL 58, Cook, IL

Built 1950 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 18,300

IL 171 SB

Poor

Over: JOLIET RD&BN RR SPUR

0.5 M NW I-55, Cook, IL

Built 1964 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 40,100

DIVISION ST (RIVER

Poor

Over: N BR CHI RIVER

1129 W DIVISION, Cook, IL

Built 1904 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 6,700

CICERO AVE

Poor

Over: SANITARY SHIP CANAL

4000 S & 4800 W, Cook, IL

Built 1927 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 50,400

ROOSEVELT RD

Poor

Over: S BR CHICAGO RIVER

230 W. ROOSEVELT RD., Cook, IL

Built 1928 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 26,800

WABASH AVE

Poor

Over: VARIOUS CITY STRTS

44E 400N TO 500N, Cook, IL

Built 1930 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 3,675

TOUHY AVE

Poor

Over: N BR CHICAGO RIVER

0.6 M E IL 43, Cook, IL

Built 1925 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 24,400

OGDEN AVE NEB

Poor

Over: I- 90 94 JFK

1.5 M N&NW I-290, Cook, IL

Built 1959 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 8,500

18TH ST

Poor

Over: RR TRACKS

1800S.& 300W.TO 200W, Cook, IL

Built 1967 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 5,650

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.