County profile · official public datasets

Lee County, IL

371 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 39.9% rated Good, 48% Fair, 12.1% Poor.

371
Public bridges
39.9%
Good condition
12.1%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Lee County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

83rd
of 102 on Poor share
12.1%
Poor-condition share
371
public highway bridges
1980
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.

Lee County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Lee County ranks #83 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 12.1%). Lee County, Illinois contains 371 public highway bridges. Roughly 39.9% are rated “Good,” 48% “Fair,” and 12.1% “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

371

Public highway bridges in Lee County

Good condition

39.9%

148 of 371 rated 7-9

Fair condition

48%

178 of 371 rated 5-6

Poor condition

12.1%

45 of 371 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#83 of 102

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

Condition distribution

Share of 371 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
39.9% (148)
Fair
48% (178)
Poor
12.1% (45)

Lee County's Poor-condition bridges carry 9,240 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.4% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 11.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 210 crossings a day against 1,179 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 370 of 371 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

39.9% of Lee County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

148 of the 371 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 39.9% 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 20.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

CH 1 LOST NATION R over FRANKLIN CREEK, built 1957, carries 1,900 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 45-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 9,240 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Lee County's bridges were built

371 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 97 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 26.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1980) matches the Illinois average (1979).

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

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

The 5 Illinois counties nearest Lee County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 12.1% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1980 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Lee County and the 5 Illinois counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Ogle County 377 7.7%
Bureau County 375 15.2%
Lee County (this page) 371 12.1%
Tazewell County 358 14.5%
Fayette County 357 5%
Peoria County 352 18.2%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IL (371 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1980 here).

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

All 371 Good 148 Fair 178 Poor 45

Good-condition bridges (148)

DRY GULCH ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF GREEN RIVER

1.6 MIN SUBLETTE RD, Lee, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 225

MAIN STREET (AMBOY

Good

Over: BR OF GREEN RIVER

NEAR MAIN-LOCUST INT, Lee, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,200

PEORIA AVENUE

Good

Over: ROCK RIVER

DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,750

PERU ST

Good

Over: PAW PAW RUN CRK

.07MI S WHEELER ST., Lee, IL

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 725

SLEEPY HOLLOW RD

Good

Over: TRIB OF GREEN RIVER

0.5 M W ROCKYFORD RD, Lee, IL

Built 1981 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 175

US ROUTE 30

Good

Over: UP RR

1.2 MI E I-88, Lee, IL

Built 1939 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 2,950

IL 251

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2 MI. N. OF US 30, Lee, IL

Built 1995 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 1,100

IL 251

Good

Over: STREAM

.2MI. N. OF MENDOTA, Lee, IL

Built 2003 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 1,600

IL 251

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER TRIB.

4 MI. N. OF US 30, Lee, IL

Built 1995 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 1,100

WOLF ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF BUREAU CREEK

1.2 M S OF US RT 52, Lee, IL

Built 1985 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 10

GERMAN ROAD

Good

Over: BUREAU CREEK

0.4 M N CHICAGO RD, Lee, IL

Built 1985 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 50

IL 2 FR RD

Good

Over: DITCH

3 MI. W. OF DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 2003 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 50

INDIAN HEAD RD

Good

Over: GREEN RV DRAINAGE DI

1.2 MI N BUREAU CO, Lee, IL

Built 1901 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 300

GREEN WING RD

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER TRIB

0.4 MI N OF SHAW RD, Lee, IL

Built 1980 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 200

WELLAND RD

Good

Over: I-39 & US 51

ON LEE-LASALLE CO, Lee, IL

Built 1983 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 350

IL 26

Good

Over: 3 MILE BRANCH

2.9 MI. N. OF US 30, Lee, IL

Built 2000 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 2,050

I-88 (E-W TOLLWAY)

Good

Over: STREAM

4 MI E WHITSD CO LN, Lee, IL

Built 1972 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 15,700

CH 22 ELDENA RD

Good

Over: THREE MILE BRANCH

1.2 MI S OF US 52, Lee, IL

Built 2005 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 300

US 52

Good

Over: 3 MILE BRANCH CREEK

4.5 MI SE OF DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 1990 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,900

IL 38

Good

Over: CHAMBERLIN CREEK

4 MI. W. FRANKLIN GR, Lee, IL

Built 1994 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,750

IL 26

Good

Over: CREEK

.25MI N UNION RD, Lee, IL

Built 2015 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 1,500

BROOKLYN RD (CH 6)

Good

Over: GREEN RV DRAIN DITCH

2.0 MI. N. OF US 30, Lee, IL

Built 1960 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 250

IL 26

Good

Over: 5 MILE BRANCH

1.2 MI. N. OF UA 30, Lee, IL

Built 2000 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 2,050

CH 15 INDIAN HEAD

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER RD

7.5MI W OF HARMON, Lee, IL

Built 2013 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 300

US 52

Good

Over: PIKE CREEK

.1 MI W LASALLE CO, Lee, IL

Built 1993 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 2,250

US 30

Good

Over: STREAM

1.3 MI. E. OF US 52, Lee, IL

Built 1992 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 1,400

ILL 251

Good

Over: STEWARD CREEK

2.5 MI. NW. STEWARD, Lee, IL

Built 2000 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,600

US 52

Good

Over: STREAM

1 MI. S. OF I-88, Lee, IL

Built 1990 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 2,900

LEE CENTER RD-FAS1

Good

Over: BR. OF GREEN RIVER

.2 MI W STERLING RD, Lee, IL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 750

TR 90 BURKETT RD

Good

Over: I-88

1 MI SE OF DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 200

I-88 EB

Good

Over: BEACH CREEK

1 MI SW OGLE CO LN, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 8,050

I-88 WB

Good

Over: STEWARD CR

AT OGLE CO LN, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 8,050

I-88 RAMP

Good

Over: I-88

.4 MI W JCT ILL 26, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 1,600

IL ROUTE 26

Good

Over: DITCH

2.25 MI S AMBOY RD, Lee, IL

Built 2012 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 1,500

FAS-185 (CH-14)

Good

Over: Branch of Main Ditch

6 MILES W OF AMBOY, Lee, IL

Built 2018 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 475

I-88 EB

Good

Over: ILL 26

S EDGE OF DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 7,850

I-88 EB

Good

Over: CNW RR

.6 MI W OF NELSON RD, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 7,850

I-88 EB

Good

Over: 3 MILE BRANCH

2.3 MI W ILL 26, Lee, IL

Built 1974 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 7,850

TR 66B DUTCH RD

Good

Over: THREE MILE BRANCH

2.5 MI N US 30, Lee, IL

Built 2018 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 100

UNION ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB TO GREEN RIVER

.05MI E DOWNEY RD, Lee, IL

Built 2022 Load: 63.8 t ADT: 75

TR44 (ATKINSON RD)

Good

Over: 3 MILE BRANCH

1 MI S ROCK IS RD, Lee, IL

Built 2020 Load: 65.8 t ADT: 75

IL 38

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.11MI E DAYSVILLE RD, Lee, IL

Built 2018 Load: 67.7 t ADT: 2,800

IL 251

Good

Over: CREEK

.48MI S OF US 30, Lee, IL

Built 2022 Load: 67.7 t ADT: 800

ILL ROUTE 26

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.5 MI S AMBOY RD, Lee, IL

Built 2012 Load: 71.0 t ADT: 1,500

IL 2

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

AT W. EDGE OF DIXON, Lee, IL

Built 1993 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 14,100

ILL 26

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER OVERFLOW

2.6 MI S AMBOY RD, Lee, IL

Built 1981 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 1,500

I-88

Good

Over: CLEARY LATERAL CREEK

4.1 MI SW OF OGLE CO, Lee, IL

Built 1972 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 16,100

I-88

Good

Over: RICKELSON CREEK

0.4 MI SW OGLE CO LN, Lee, IL

Built 1972 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 16,100

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

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.