County profile · official public datasets

Johnson County, IA

372 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 39.5% rated Good, 50.3% Fair, 10.2% Poor.

372
Public bridges
39.5%
Good condition
10.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Johnson County posts a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

Top 21%
lowest Poor share in state
10.2%
Poor-condition share
372
public highway bridges
1979
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.

Johnson County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Johnson County ranks #21 of 99 Iowa counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 10.2%). Johnson County, Iowa contains 372 public highway bridges. Roughly 39.5% are rated “Good,” 50.3% “Fair,” and 10.2% “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

372

Public highway bridges in Johnson County

Good condition

39.5%

147 of 372 rated 7-9

Fair condition

50.3%

187 of 372 rated 5-6

Poor condition

10.2%

38 of 372 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#21 of 99

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

Condition distribution

Share of 372 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
39.5% (147)
Fair
50.3% (187)
Poor
10.2% (38)

Johnson County's Poor-condition bridges carry 55,995 vehicle crossings a day

That is 3.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 10.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,474 crossings a day against 5,176 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 372 of 372 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

41.9% of Johnson County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

156 of the 372 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 39.5% 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 25% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

GILBERT ST over RALSTON CREEK, built 1972, carries 14,025 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 38-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 55,995 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Johnson County's bridges were built

372 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 71 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1979) matches the Iowa average (1979).

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

How Johnson County compares with Iowa's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Iowa counties nearest Johnson County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 10.2% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1979 against a peer-group mean of 1982 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 98 Iowa counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Johnson County and the 5 Iowa counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Jasper County 382 29.1%
Benton County 374 23%
Clinton County 372 3%
Johnson County (this page) 372 10.2%
Fayette County 362 24.6%
Dubuque County 346 8.7%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IA (372 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IA (1979 here).

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

Fair-condition bridges (187)

HALFMOON AVE

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

080072908, Johnson, IA

Built 1976 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 112

FM SW NAPLES AV

Fair

Over: PICAYUNE CREEK

078062002, Johnson, IA

Built 1966 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 70

FM SW BLK DIMND

Fair

Over: N BRANCH OLD MANS CREEK

079073009, Johnson, IA

Built 1968 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 650

FM SUGAR BTM RD

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

080061105, Johnson, IA

Built 1964 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 990

FM

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

081082403, Johnson, IA

Built 1934 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 130

NB DUBUQUE ST

Fair

Over: I 80

At the jct. of S.R. W66, Johnson, IA

Built 1963 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 3,750

SB DUBUQUE ST

Fair

Over: I 80

At the jct. of S.R. W66, Johnson, IA

Built 1963 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,750

I 80 WB

Fair

Over: IA 965/CORAL RIDGE AVE

1.6 mi. E of Jct. I-380, Johnson, IA

Built 1963 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 25,150

UTAH AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

077052906, Johnson, IA

Built 1994 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 70

FM IWV RD

Fair

Over: N BRANCH OLD MANS CR

079081503, Johnson, IA

Built 2004 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 480

WB I-80

Fair

Over: CIC RAILWAY

3.0 mi. E of jct. I-380, Johnson, IA

Built 1963 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 30,600

JOHNSON-IOWA RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH TO CLEAR CREEK

080081902, Johnson, IA

Built 1979 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 61

EB I-80

Fair

Over: CIC RAILWAY

3.0 mi. E of jct. I-380, Johnson, IA

Built 1963 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 30,600

FM

Fair

Over: SNYDER CR

079052901, Johnson, IA

Built 1977 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 130

12TH AVE

Fair

Over: I-80

3.0 MI. E OF JCT I-380, Johnson, IA

Built 1962 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 10,192

SW CALKINS AVE

Fair

Over: N BR CREEK

079080902, Johnson, IA

Built 1920 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 26

FM SW BLK DIMND

Fair

Over: STREAM

079083405, Johnson, IA

Built 1900 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 970

I 380 NB

Fair

Over: W-60 & CRIC RR

7.4 mi. N of Jct. I-80, Johnson, IA

Built 1971 Load: 29.6 t ADT: 27,200

SB IA 1

Fair

Over: RALSTON CREEK

2.5 MI. S OF JCT. I-80, Johnson, IA

Built 1953 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 3,650

W 295TH ST

Fair

Over: RHINE CREEK

080082803, Johnson, IA

Built 1986 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 102

LOCAL

Fair

Over: PLUM CR

081081301, Johnson, IA

Built 1996 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 15

FM SAND RD

Fair

Over: PECHMAN CREEK

078062404, Johnson, IA

Built 1976 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 1,210

FM 180TH ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

081052303, Johnson, IA

Built 1978 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 180

FM SAND RD SE

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

077060204, Johnson, IA

Built 1964 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 1,210

FM SW NAPLES AV

Fair

Over: DIRTY FACE CREEK

078061704, Johnson, IA

Built 1980 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 270

FM 500TH ST

Fair

Over: BR DIRTY FACE CR

078071409, Johnson, IA

Built 1977 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 270

FM SW KANSAS

Fair

Over: STREAM

078071404, Johnson, IA

Built 1978 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 270

SW 360TH ST

Fair

Over: N BR CREEK

079080803, Johnson, IA

Built 1965 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 61

ROHRET RD

Fair

Over: N FORK OLD MANS CREEK

079082601, Johnson, IA

Built 1978 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 30

NW 120TH ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

081080801, Johnson, IA

Built 1966 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 1,250

US 6

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3.0 mi. W of Jct. I-380, Johnson, IA

Built 1961 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 5,200

500TH ST SE

Fair

Over: STREAM

078051403, Johnson, IA

Built 1969 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 35

500TH ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

078051702, Johnson, IA

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 133

FM 540TH ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

078052001, Johnson, IA

Built 1955 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 880

NAPOLEON ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

078060203, Johnson, IA

Built 1972 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 388

SW OBSRVTRY AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

078063306, Johnson, IA

Built 1973 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 72

SW JAMES AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

078071502, Johnson, IA

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 41

LOCAL

Fair

Over: STREAM

078082102, Johnson, IA

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 61

JEFFERSON ST

Fair

Over: RALSTON CREEK

079061100, Johnson, IA

Built 1958 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 1,802

MORMON TRK BLVD

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

079061700, Johnson, IA

Built 1971 Load: 31.6 t ADT: 12,954

ROHRET RD

Fair

Over: US 218

1.1 mi. N of Jct. Iowa #1, Johnson, IA

Built 1983 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 4,601

SHERIDAN AVE

Fair

Over: RALSTON CREEK S BRANCH

079061400, Johnson, IA

Built 1957 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 2,105

SW 400TH ST

Fair

Over: OLD MANS CREEK

079082301, Johnson, IA

Built 1975 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 51

NW 160TH ST

Fair

Over: STREAM

081082401, Johnson, IA

Built 1993 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 20

SW 480TH ST

Fair

Over: BR DIRTY FACE CR

078071101, Johnson, IA

Built 1920 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 61

CHAMBERS AVE

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

080082804, Johnson, IA

Built 1977 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 170

LINN-JOHNSON RD

Fair

Over: KNAPP CREEK

081080601, Johnson, IA

Built 1984 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 46

1ST AVE SB

Fair

Over: I-80

3.4 MI. W OF Jct. IA 1, Johnson, IA

Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,700

IA 1

Fair

Over: RALSTON CREEK

0.6 MI. N OF N JCT. US 6, Johnson, IA

Built 1932 Load: 32.5 t ADT: 13,500

I-80

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2.2 mi. W of Jct. SR X30, Johnson, IA

Built 1960 Load: 32.6 t ADT: 41,800
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.