County profile · official public datasets

Washington County, IL

233 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 50.6% rated Good, 43.3% Fair, 6% Poor.

233
Public bridges
50.6%
Good condition
6%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Washington County pairs a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

Top 25%
lowest Poor share in state
6%
Poor-condition share
233
public highway bridges
1973
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.

Washington County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Washington County ranks #25 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 6%). Washington County, Illinois contains 233 public highway bridges. Roughly 50.6% are rated “Good,” 43.3% “Fair,” and 6% “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

233

Public highway bridges in Washington County

Good condition

50.6%

118 of 233 rated 7-9

Fair condition

43.3%

101 of 233 rated 5-6

Poor condition

6%

14 of 233 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#25 of 102

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

Condition distribution

Share of 233 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
50.6% (118)
Fair
43.3% (101)
Poor
6% (14)

Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 41,370 vehicle crossings a day

That is 8.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,955 crossings a day against 1,003 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 233 of 233 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

42.9% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

100 of the 233 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 50.6% 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 33.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I-64 EB over Prairie Rd Abandoned UPR, built 1972, carries 14,000 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 14-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 41,370 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Washington County's bridges were built

233 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 50 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1973, 6 years older than the Illinois average of 1979.

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

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

The 5 Illinois counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 6% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is 10 years older.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Washington County and the 5 Illinois counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Morgan County 234 8.5%
Washington County (this page) 233 6%
Douglas County 232 1.3%
Clark County 230 4.8%
Jackson County 228 6.6%
McHenry County 227 20.3%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IL (233 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1973 here).

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

All 233 Good 118 Fair 101 Poor 14

Good-condition bridges (118)

TR 56

Good

Over: Archie Creek

1 MI W Elkton, Washington, IL

Built 2023 ADT: 50

TR 268

Good

Over: BR OF GRAND POINT CR

.25 MI N IRVINGTON, Washington, IL

Built 1969 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 325

CH 12

Good

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

3.0 MI S OF ILL RT15, Washington, IL

Built 1978 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 225

Waterworks Rd - TR

Good

Over: FAI 64

0.75 NW OKAWVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 325

IL 160

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK BRANCH

1.6MI W ADDIEVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 950

ILL 177

Good

Over: CROOKED CREEK

0.14 E OF ILL 127, Washington, IL

Built 1932 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,650

ILL 15

Good

Over: TRIB TO WILLOW CREEK

2.6M WEST OF ILL 127, Washington, IL

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,200

IL 15

Good

Over: Trib to Willow Creek

1.0M W OF NASHVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,200

TR 83

Good

Over: BEAVER POND CREEK

2 MI NE OFADDLEVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 0001

Good

Over: GRAND POINT CREEK

5 MI NW OFIRVINGTON, Washington, IL

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 214

Good

Over: TRIB OF GRAND PT CK

4 MI W OFIRVINGTON, Washington, IL

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

TR 7

Good

Over: HERZOG BRANCH

4 MI NE HOYLETON, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 195

Good

Over: BACK CREEK

2.7 MI S OF BEAUCOUP, Washington, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 200 B

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

4.5 MI NW OF RADOM, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

CO HWY NO 6

Good

Over: BR OF WEAVER CREEK

2 MI S OF OKAWVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

TR 8A

Good

Over: BRANCH OF MUD CREEK

2.5 MI NE OF TILDEN, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 14

Good

Over: ELKHORN CREEK

2.5 MI NW OF VENEDY, Washington, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 247

Good

Over: BEAUCOUP CREEK

5.5 MI WEST OF RADOM, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 59

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

0.25 MI E OKAWVILLE, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 375

TR 206A

Good

Over: BR OF BEAUCOUP CREEK

2 MI EAST BEAUCOUP, Washington, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 244

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY RIVER

SW 1/4 SEC27 T3S R1W, Washington, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 13

Good

Over: GRAND POINT CREEK

NE COR SEC5 T1S R1W, Washington, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 15

Good

Over: BR OF GRAND POINT CK

NW 1/4 SEC 3 T1S R1W, Washington, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 196

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

SW 1/4 SEC26 T3S R2W, Washington, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

TR 277

Good

Over: BRANCH OF MUD CREEK

1 MILE NE OF TILDEN, Washington, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

TR 145

Good

Over: BR OF ELKHORN CREEK

SW1/4 SEC 13 T2S R5W, Washington, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 122

Good

Over: BR OF BEAVER POND CK

CENTER SEC 32 T1SR3W, Washington, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 107

Good

Over: BR OF RAYSE CREEK

1 MI NE OF RICHVIEW, Washington, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 181

Good

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

NW 1/4 SEC27 T2S R5W, Washington, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 140

Good

Over: LOCUST CREEK

ADD LATER, Washington, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 250

TR 36

Good

Over: BRANCH OF ELKHORN CK

SW1/4 SEC 25 T1S R5W, Washington, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 146

Good

Over: BR OF LITTLE CROOKED

NW 1/4 SEC 2 T1S R3W, Washington, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 12

Good

Over: BR OF LITTLE MUD CK

NW 1/2 SEC 21 T2SR5W, Washington, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

TR 173

Good

Over: BACK CREEK

3 MI WEST OF ASHLEY, Washington, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 54

Good

Over: BRANCH OF MUD CREEK

5 MI SE LIVELY GROVE, Washington, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 211

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

NW 1/4 SEC 1 T3S R2W, Washington, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

TR 25

Good

Over: BRANCH OF COON CREEK

3 MI NE NEW MINDEN, Washington, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 16

Good

Over: BR LITTLE MUD CREEK

2.5MI N OF CASPERS, Washington, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

TR 211

Good

Over: BACK CREEK

SW 1/4 SEC 35 T2SR2W, Washington, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 175

TR 33

Good

Over: BR LT CROOKED CREEK

1.5MI NW NEW MINDEN, Washington, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 250

Good

Over: BR GRAND PT CREEK

0.75W/1.5N IRVINGTON, Washington, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 91

Good

Over: ELKHORN CREEK

0.75 E. VENEDY, Washington, IL

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

TR 12

Good

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

2.75 MI SW STONE CR, Washington, IL

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

TR 198

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

6 MI. NW OF DUBOIS, Washington, IL

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR 75

Good

Over: LITTLE CROOKED CREEK

4.3 MI SW NEW MINDEN, Washington, IL

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

TR 200

Good

Over: BR. OF BEAUCOUP CR

5 M WEST ASHLEY, Washington, IL

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

TR 235

Good

Over: BRANCH OF MUD CREEK

4 MI SW LIVELY GROVE, Washington, IL

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

CH 18

Good

Over: WEBSTER CREEK

0.5 MI N OF NOLTINGS, Washington, IL

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 525

TR 2

Good

Over: BRANCH LITTLE MUD CK

5 MI SW ST. LIBORY, Washington, IL

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 175

TR 56

Good

Over: BRANCH ELKHORN CK

2.5 MI N CH 10, Washington, IL

Built 1991 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.