County profile · official public datasets

Ellis County, KS

275 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 51.3% rated Good, 44.7% Fair, 4% Poor.

275
Public bridges
51.3%
Good condition
4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 46%
lowest Poor share in state
4%
Poor-condition share
275
public highway bridges
1969
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.

Ellis County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Ellis County ranks #48 of 104 Kansas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 4%). Ellis County, Kansas contains 275 public highway bridges. Roughly 51.3% are rated “Good,” 44.7% “Fair,” and 4% “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

275

Public highway bridges in Ellis County

Good condition

51.3%

141 of 275 rated 7-9

Fair condition

44.7%

123 of 275 rated 5-6

Poor condition

4%

11 of 275 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#48 of 104

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

Condition distribution

Share of 275 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
51.3% (141)
Fair
44.7% (123)
Poor
4% (11)

Ellis County's Poor-condition bridges carry 2,885 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 262 crossings a day against 2,098 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 275 of 275 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

60.4% of Ellis County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

166 of the 275 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 51.3% 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 34.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

Old Highway 40 over N. FORK BIG CREEK TRIB., built 1949, carries 1,000 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 11-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 2,885 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Ellis County's bridges were built

275 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 77 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 28% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1969) matches the Kansas average (1972).

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

How Ellis County compares with Kansas's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Kansas counties nearest Ellis County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 4% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1969 against a peer-group mean of 1968 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 103 Kansas counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Ellis County and the 5 Kansas counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Smith County 281 11.4%
Ellis County (this page) 275 4%
Republic County 266 3%
Rice County 262 3.1%
Russell County 261 1.9%
Mitchell County 260 3.5%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside KS (275 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside KS (1969 here).

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

All 275 Good 141 Fair 123 Poor 11

Good-condition bridges (141)

Codell Avenue

Good

Over: SALINE RIVER TRIBUTARY

10.4N 1.5E OF CATHARINE, Ellis, KS

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 95

Butterfield Trail

Good

Over: CEDAR BLUFF CANAL

9.5S 0.1W OF ELLIS, Ellis, KS

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 65

Old Highway 40

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.4S 2.0E OF HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1931 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,400

270th Avenue

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO BIG CREEK

0.1N 1.0W OF MUNJOR, Ellis, KS

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

270th Avenue

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BIG CREEK

1.0W 1.4N OF MUNJOR, Ellis, KS

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

Dorrance Avenue

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BIG CREEK

IN ELLIS, Ellis, KS

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

Butterfield Trail

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

8.8W 1.0N OF ANTONINO, Ellis, KS

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Homestead Road

Good

Over: EAST SPRING CREEK

2.1E 7.0N OF ELLIS, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Butterfield Trail

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

6.1W 1.0N OF ANTONINO, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Emmeram Road

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.5N 3.4E OF ELLIS, Ellis, KS

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

Norfolk Road

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

2.0S 1.0W OF ANTONINO, Ellis, KS

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 35

210th Avenue

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

3.5W 0.8S OF SCHOENCHEN, Ellis, KS

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

240th Avenue

Good

Over: TRIB TO LOOKOUT HOLLOW

0.5W 4.5N OF SCHOENCHEN, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 75

240th Avenue

Good

Over: TRIB TO LOOKOUT HOLLOW

1.1S 3.0E OF ANTONINO, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 70

Front Street

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

0.1 S. OF SCHOENCHEN, Ellis, KS

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

East 13th Street

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIB.

1.5E OF HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 800

S County Line Road

Good

Over: TRIB TO SMOKY HILL RIVER

3.6E 1.0S OF SCHOENCHEN, Ellis, KS

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

Mount Pleasant Rd

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY

4.0E 3.0S OF HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 45

Vineyard Road

Good

Over: NORTH FORK BIG CREEK

3.2W 3.0N OF VICTORIA, Ellis, KS

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Emmeram Road

Good

Over: N. FORK BIG CREEK TRIB.

2.0N & 0.9E of CATHARINE, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

350th Avenue

Good

Over: WALKER CREEK

6.5N 0.8E OF VICTORIA, Ellis, KS

Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 65

Airbase Road

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO MUD CREEK

1.2E 2.0N OF VICTORIA, Ellis, KS

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

S County Line Rd

Good

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.7S 3.2E OF PFEIFER, Ellis, KS

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Emmeram Road

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

6.2N 1.1E OF WALKER, Ellis, KS

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Emmeram Road

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

6.2N 1.7E OF WALKER, Ellis, KS

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 45

INDIAN TRAIL

Good

Over: CHETOLAH CREEK

INDIAN TRAIL IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,445

COMMERCE PARKWAY

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIB.

COMMERCE PARKWAY, Ellis, KS

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,015

E. 17TH. ST.

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIB.

E. 17TH. ST. IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 500

W. 37TH. ST.

Good

Over: LINCOLN DRAW

W. 37TH. ST. IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: LOCAL ROAD

6.37MI E JCT U183 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,350

E. 22ND ST.

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BIG CREEK

E. 22ND ST. IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 2010 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 3,425

LOCAL ROAD

Good

Over: I70 HWY NL-SL

3.41 MI E JT K247, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 55

220th Avenue

Good

Over: LOOKOUT HOLLOW

1.0E 0.3N OF ANTONINO, Ellis, KS

Built 2009 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 40

E. 22ND ST.

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BIG CREEK

E. 22ND ST. IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 2010 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 3,425

CENTENNIAL BLVD

Good

Over: CHETOLAH CREEK

CENTENNIAL BLVD IN HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1974 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 2,305

Old Highway 40

Good

Over: BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.2N 3.0W OF HAYS, Ellis, KS

Built 1951 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 1,500

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: RS0230 K247 HWY

JCT K247/I70 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY EB

Good

Over: K247 HWY

JCT K247/I70 EB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: LOCAL ROAD

4.23 MI E JT K247 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY EB

Good

Over: LOCAL ROAD

4.24 MI E JT K247 EB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: Yocemento Road

7.41 MI E JT K247 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY EB

Good

Over: Yocemento Rd.

7.40 MI E JT K247 EB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,200

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: Walker Avenue

4.24 MI E JT K255 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,700

I70 HWY EB

Good

Over: Walker Avenue

4.23 MI E JT K255 EB, Ellis, KS

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,700

US183 HWY

Good

Over: BIG CREEK DRAINAGE

8.57 MI N RUSH COLN, Ellis, KS

Built 1970 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 3,490

US 183 HWY

Good

Over: LOCAL ROAD

10.50 MI N RUSH COLN, Ellis, KS

Built 1970 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 5,720

210th Avenue

Good

Over: SMOKY HILL RIVER

1.0N 3.4W OF SCHOENCHEN, Ellis, KS

Built 1988 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 50

US183 BYPASS

Good

Over: BIG CREEK DRAINAGE

2.60 MI NW JCT U183/U183Y, Ellis, KS

Built 1966 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,580

I70 HWY WB

Good

Over: US183 HWY

JCT U183/I70 WB, Ellis, KS

Built 1964 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 7,600

I70 HWY EB

Good

Over: US183 HWY

JCT U183/I70 EB, Ellis, KS

Built 1964 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 7,600

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.