County profile · official public datasets

Jefferson County, IL

260 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 47.7% rated Good, 46.2% Fair, 6.2% Poor.

260
Public bridges
47.7%
Good condition
6.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Jefferson County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.

Top 27%
lowest Poor share in state
6.2%
Poor-condition share
260
public highway bridges
1984
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.

Jefferson County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Jefferson County ranks #28 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 6.2%). Jefferson County, Illinois contains 260 public highway bridges. Roughly 47.7% are rated “Good,” 46.2% “Fair,” and 6.2% “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

260

Public highway bridges in Jefferson County

Good condition

47.7%

124 of 260 rated 7-9

Fair condition

46.2%

120 of 260 rated 5-6

Poor condition

6.2%

16 of 260 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#28 of 102

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

Condition distribution

Share of 260 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
47.7% (124)
Fair
46.2% (120)
Poor
6.2% (16)

Jefferson County's Poor-condition bridges carry 67,995 vehicle crossings a day

That is 7.4% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 4,250 crossings a day against 2,457 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 260 of 260 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

36.9% of Jefferson County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

96 of the 260 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 47.7% 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 27.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

FAP-821 (ILL-15) over FAI-57, built 1968, carries 18,800 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 16-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 67,995 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Jefferson County's bridges were built

260 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 43 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 16.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1984, 5 years newer than the Illinois average of 1979.

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

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

The 5 Illinois counties nearest Jefferson County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 6.2% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1984 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Jefferson County and the 5 Illinois counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Grundy County 269 26.8%
Wayne County 266 9%
DeKalb County 261 13%
Montgomery County 261 7.3%
Jefferson County (this page) 260 6.2%
Effingham County 253 4.7%

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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IL (260 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1984 here).

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

All 260 Good 124 Fair 120 Poor 16

Good-condition bridges (124)

TR-364

Good

Over: TRIB SEVEN MILE CK

2 MI SE MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1909 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 700

FAS-819

Good

Over: TRIB CASEY FORK

0.5 MI E TEXICO, Jefferson, IL

Built 1974 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,350

TR-485

Good

Over: TRIB ATCHISON CREEK

0.5 MI S BONNIE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1975 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 350

TR-143

Good

Over: RAYSE CREEK

2.5 MI SW CRAVAT, Jefferson, IL

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 50

FAU-8745

Good

Over: CREEK

MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 2,050

FAS 819 - CH 39

Good

Over: BIG MUDDY RIVER

2.5 MI S WALNUT HILL, Jefferson, IL

Built 2000 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 1,150

FAP-849 (ILL-142)

Good

Over: TRIB ROCKY BRANCH

1.3MI SE BELLE RIVE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1930 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 2,850

TR-542

Good

Over: FAI-64

.5 MI W WAYNE CO LN, Jefferson, IL

Built 1971 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 25

TR-443

Good

Over: PUNCHEON CREEK

6MI W WALTONVILLE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 25

TR-383

Good

Over: AUXIER CREEK

1.5 MI N BELLE RIVE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR-133

Good

Over: RAYSE CREEK

2.5 MI SW CRAVAT, Jefferson, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR-159A

Good

Over: CASEY FORK CREEK

2.5 MI N MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 275

FAS-794 (CH-34)

Good

Over: BRANCH BIG MUDDY RV

1.6 MI S WALNUT HILL, Jefferson, IL

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 500

TR-3 (FRANKLIN CO)

Good

Over: SUGAR CAMP CREEK

5 MI ESE SPRING GARD, Jefferson, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR-379A

Good

Over: DODDS CREEK

3 MI SE MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 225

TR-239A

Good

Over: BIG MUDDY RIVER

1.5 MI NE WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

CH 4

Good

Over: CREEK

2 MI SE BELLE RIVE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

TR-362

Good

Over: TRIB ATCHISON CREEK

1.5 MI E BONNIE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 350

FAS 2827 - CH9

Good

Over: RAYSE CREEK

5.25 MI S WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 850

CH 15

Good

Over: NOVACK CREEK

4 MI SW WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

CH 27

Good

Over: NOVAK CREEK

5 MI SW WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

TR-39

Good

Over: SNOW CREEK

2 MI NW DIX, Jefferson, IL

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR-335

Good

Over: AUXIER CREEK

2.5 MI NE OPDYKE, Jefferson, IL

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR-322

Good

Over: CASEY FORK

0.5 MI NE MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,150

TR 414

Good

Over: TWO MILE CR

3 MI E MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

TR 210

Good

Over: EAST CREEK

1 MI SW DIX, Jefferson, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 4-WAYNE CO.

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI NE BLUFORD, Jefferson, IL

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 146

Good

Over: CREEK

1 MI SE WALTONVILLE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

CH 18

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY RIVER

4.5 MI SW SCHELLER, Jefferson, IL

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

TR 146

Good

Over: E HURRICANE CREEK

2.75 MI W NASON, Jefferson, IL

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

TR 406

Good

Over: TRIB TO GUN CREEK

3 MI E INA, Jefferson, IL

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

TR 443

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY TRIB

1 MI. N SCHELLER, Jefferson, IL

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

E. GREEN RD

Good

Over: CASEY FORK OVERFLOW

1 MI EAST OF IL 37N, Jefferson, IL

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,250

FAS-789 (CH-3)

Good

Over: HORSE CREEK

3 MI N HARMONY, Jefferson, IL

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 500

N. PAPERTOWN LN

Good

Over: CNIC RR

4 MI ENE HARMONY, Jefferson, IL

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

N. OAKTON LN

Good

Over: CASEY FORKCREEK

1.7 MI N MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

E. DRUM RD

Good

Over: SNOW CREEK

1.5 MI S BOYD, Jefferson, IL

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

N PROGRAM LN

Good

Over: AUXIER CREEK

0.5 MI W BELLE RIVE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

N DOPPLER LANE

Good

Over: RAYSE CREEK

5 MI WNW WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

E INA RD

Good

Over: GUN CREEK

1 MI E SPRING GARDEN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

E. LIBERTY ROAD

Good

Over: SEVEN MILE CREEK

2 MI E MT VERNON, Jefferson, IL

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 550

N LOG CABIN RD

Good

Over: ATCHINSON CREEK

3.5 MI SW OPDYKE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 950

E RICHVIEW RD

Good

Over: PIERCE CREEK

3.5 MI W I-57, Jefferson, IL

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,450

T.R. 91

Good

Over: HORSE CREEK

2 MI NE HARMONY, Jefferson, IL

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

E. VIOLET RD

Good

Over: CASEY FORK CREEK

0.5 MI W MILLER LAKE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

N. Spring Garden L

Good

Over: Dodds Creek

4 Mi W of Opdyke, Jefferson, IL

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 600

TR 372

Good

Over: ATCHINSON CREEK

2.0 MI S OF OPDYKE, Jefferson, IL

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

N FALCON LANE

Good

Over: AUXIER CREEK

2.5 MI SW BLUFORD, Jefferson, IL

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

BOYD LN

Good

Over: PIERCE

2.5 MI NE WOODLAWN, Jefferson, IL

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

N REARDON LA

Good

Over: ATCHISON CREEK

2.5 Mi. E. of Bonnie, Jefferson, IL

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

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.