Total bridges
210
Public highway bridges in Montgomery County
County profile · official public datasets
Montgomery County, IA
210 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 21% rated Good, 53.8% Fair, 25.2% Poor.
- 210
- Public bridges
- 21%
- Good condition
- 25.2%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Montgomery 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.
- 68th
- of 99 on Poor share
- 25.2%
- Poor-condition share
- 210
- 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.
Montgomery County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Montgomery County ranks #68 of 99 Iowa counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 25.2%). Montgomery County, Iowa contains 210 public highway bridges. Roughly 21% are rated “Good,” 53.8% “Fair,” and 25.2% “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.
Good condition
21%
44 of 210 rated 7-9
Fair condition
53.8%
113 of 210 rated 5-6
Poor condition
25.2%
53 of 210 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#68 of 99
Among Iowa counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 210 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 21% (44)
Fair 53.8% (113)
Poor 25.2% (53)
Montgomery County's Poor-condition bridges carry 6,789 vehicle crossings a day
That is 7.2% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 25.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 128 crossings a day against 419 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 210 of 210 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
63.8% of Montgomery County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
134 of the 210 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 21% 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 17.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
OLD US 71 over BNSF RR, built 1929, carries 1,187 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 53-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 6,789 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Montgomery County's bridges were built
210 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1910s 2
1910–1919
2 bridges
- 1920s 2
1920–1929
2 bridges
- 1930s 5
1930–1939
5 bridges
- 1940s 12
1940–1949
12 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
34 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
51 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
39 bridges
- 1980s 17
1980–1989
17 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
23 bridges
- 2000s 11
2000–2009
11 bridges
- 2010s 12
2010–2019
12 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 51 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 24.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1973, 6 years older than the Iowa average of 1979.
How Montgomery County compares with Iowa's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Iowa counties nearest Montgomery County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 25.2% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1982 is 9 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 98 Iowa counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 214 | 44.9% | 41.6% | 13.6% | 1981 |
| Floyd County | 213 | 49.8% | 35.7% | 14.6% | 1984 |
| Howard County | 210 | 41.9% | 35.2% | 22.9% | 1984 |
| Montgomery County (this page) | 210 | 21% | 53.8% | 25.2% | 1973 |
| Shelby County | 207 | 36.2% | 54.1% | 9.7% | 1979 |
| Washington County | 207 | 39.6% | 44.4% | 15.9% | 1980 |
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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, both outside Iowa so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside IA (210 bridges here).
- Fulton County, IL · 210 bridges
- Clinton County, IN · 210 bridges
- Calloway County, KY · 210 bridges
- Amite County, MS · 210 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside IA (1973 here).
- Jefferson County, AL · avg 1973 · 1,068 bridges
- Erie County, NY · avg 1973 · 906 bridges
- Davidson County, TN · avg 1973 · 832 bridges
- Lancaster County, PA · avg 1973 · 801 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (113)
BROAD AVE
FairOver: SMALL STREAM
071370408, Montgomery, IA
Built 1949 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 699
FM
FairOver: SIN CREEK
073362301, Montgomery, IA
Built 1959 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 45
FM
FairOver: WALNUT CREEK TRIB
071392802, Montgomery, IA
Built 1965 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 153
EB US 34
FairOver: WEST NODAWAY RIVER
0.3 MI. W OF JCT. US 71, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 1,325
US 71
FairOver: BNSF RR
0.9 MI. South OF SR N-46, Montgomery, IA
Built 1972 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 1,640
FM
FairOver: BR NODAWAY WEST
072362102, Montgomery, IA
Built 1958 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 34
FM
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
073390302, Montgomery, IA
Built 1957 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 45
LOCAL
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
073392001, Montgomery, IA
Built 1956 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 29
US 34
FairOver: EAST NISHNABOTNA RIVER
0.5 MI. W. OF JCT. IA 48, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 4,460
IA 48
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
1.3 MI S OF JCT. US 34, Montgomery, IA
Built 1918 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 4,460
FM
FairOver: EAST TARKIO
071373501, Montgomery, IA
Built 1969 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 45
LOCAL ROAD
FairOver: WALNUT CREEK
072390103, Montgomery, IA
Built 1930 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 15
FM
FairOver: WALNUT CREEK
073383101, Montgomery, IA
Built 1967 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 199
W 2ND ST
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
000000000, Montgomery, IA
Built 1965 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 501
FM
FairOver: CREEK
073381402, Montgomery, IA
Built 1975 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 60
8TH ST
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
000000000, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 571
US 34
FairOver: MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER
3.0 MI. E JCT. US 71, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,240
FM
FairOver: NISHNABOTNA RIVER
071393603, Montgomery, IA
Built 1972 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 133
LOCAL
FairOver: NODAWAY RIVER
073361302, Montgomery, IA
Built 1982 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 50
US 71
FairOver: MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER
2.2 MI. S OF SR H-46, Montgomery, IA
Built 1972 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 2,090
LOCAL RD
FairOver: LOCAL DRAINAGE
072381801, Montgomery, IA
Built 1961 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 35
IA 48
FairOver: EAST NISHNABOTNA RIVER
1.9 MI. S OF SR H14, Montgomery, IA
Built 1960 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 1,210
LOCAL
FairOver: SMALL STREAM
073363006, Montgomery, IA
Built 1987 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 5
WB US 34
FairOver: WEST NODAWAY RIVER
0.3 MI. W OF JCT. US 71, Montgomery, IA
Built 1970 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 1,325
FM
FairOver: EAST TARKIO CREEK
071372504, Montgomery, IA
Built 1969 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 50
HALLAND AVE
FairOver: DRAINAGE
071370302, Montgomery, IA
Built 1960 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 779
IA 48
FairOver: EAST NISHNABOTNA RIVER
1.7 MI. N OF JCT. 34, Montgomery, IA
Built 1973 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 2,080
FM
FairOver: TARKIO CREEK
072372801, Montgomery, IA
Built 1978 Load: 30.2 t ADT: 509
ELM ST
FairOver: COE CREEK
073381, Montgomery, IA
Built 1972 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 500
FRANKFORT ST
FairOver: DRAINAGE
071370403, Montgomery, IA
Built 1967 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 150
NUCKOLS ST
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
000000000, Montgomery, IA
Built 1971 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 479
US 34
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
1.2 MI. E OF US 59, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 4,030
LOCAL
FairOver: SIN CREEK
073362502, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 15
FM
FairOver: NISHNABOTNA TRIB
071380901, Montgomery, IA
Built 1959 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 72
US 34
FairOver: CRABAPPLE CREEK
3.1 MI. E OF US 59, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 32.6 t ADT: 4,030
FOREST AVE
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
000000000, Montgomery, IA
Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 321
FM
FairOver: TARKIO CK
072372601, Montgomery, IA
Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 338
FM
FairOver: LITTLE TARKIO CREEK
072382507, Montgomery, IA
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 509
2ND ST
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
000000000, Montgomery, IA
Built 1968 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 650
US 71
FairOver: WEST NODAWAY RIVER
0.4 mi. S of Jct. SR L-14, Montgomery, IA
Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,370
LOCAL
FairOver: NODAWAY RIVER
071362104, Montgomery, IA
Built 1993 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 60
LOCAL-CASS#104B
FairOver: TARKIO CREEK
073370201, Montgomery, IA
Built 1990 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 11
LOCAL
FairOver: NISHNABOTNA TRIB
073370704, Montgomery, IA
Built 1968 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 89
FM
FairOver: TARKIO CREEK TRIB
073372603, Montgomery, IA
Built 1970 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 26
FM
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
072382705, Montgomery, IA
Built 1968 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,275
LOCAL
FairOver: DRAINAGE
071381302, Montgomery, IA
Built 1992 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 45
US 34
FairOver: LITTLE TARKIO CREEK
0.2 MI. E of SR M63, Montgomery, IA
Built 1964 Load: 35.1 t ADT: 2,880
IA 48
FairOver: OVERFLOW NISHNABOTNA
2.0 mi. S of Jct. SR H14, Montgomery, IA
Built 1973 Load: 35.1 t ADT: 1,210
FM
FairOver: NISHNABOTNA TRIB
073381304, Montgomery, IA
Built 1957 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 34
US 71
FairOver: US 34
AT JCT. OF US 34, Montgomery, IA
Built 1971 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 2,040
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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.