Total bridges
193
Public highway bridges in Blue Earth County
County profile · official public datasets
Blue Earth County, MN
193 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 49.7% rated Good, 43% Fair, 7.3% Poor.
- 193
- Public bridges
- 49.7%
- Good condition
- 7.3%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Blue Earth County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- 71st
- of 87 on Poor share
- 7.3%
- Poor-condition share
- 193
- public highway bridges
- 1982
- 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.
Blue Earth County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Blue Earth County ranks #71 of 87 Minnesota counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.3%). Blue Earth County, Minnesota contains 193 public highway bridges. Roughly 49.7% are rated “Good,” 43% “Fair,” and 7.3% “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
49.7%
96 of 193 rated 7-9
Fair condition
43%
83 of 193 rated 5-6
Poor condition
7.3%
14 of 193 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#71 of 87
Among Minnesota counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 193 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 49.7% (96)
Fair 43% (83)
Poor 7.3% (14)
Blue Earth County's Poor-condition bridges carry 104,952 vehicle crossings a day
That is 16.6% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 7,497 crossings a day against 945 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 193 of 193 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
33.2% of Blue Earth County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
64 of the 193 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 49.7% 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 37.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
US 14 over MINN RIVER; UP RR, built 1976, carries 39,000 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 104,952 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Blue Earth County's bridges were built
193 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1930s 5
1930–1939
5 bridges
- 1940s 9
1940–1949
9 bridges
- 1950s 13
1950–1959
13 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
25 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
47 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
25 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
24 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
22 bridges
- 2010s 18
2010–2019
18 bridges
- 2020s 5
2020–2029
5 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 47 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 24.4% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1982) matches the Minnesota average (1986).
How Blue Earth County compares with Minnesota's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Minnesota counties nearest Blue Earth County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.3% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1982 against a peer-group mean of 1988 is 6 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 86 Minnesota counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood County | 200 | 53% | 36.5% | 10.5% | 1986 |
| Wilkin County | 196 | 80.6% | 15.3% | 4.1% | 1989 |
| Blue Earth County (this page) | 193 | 49.7% | 43% | 7.3% | 1982 |
| Pipestone County | 185 | 64.9% | 31.9% | 3.2% | 1998 |
| Jackson County | 182 | 67% | 30.2% | 2.7% | 1986 |
| Dodge County | 177 | 46.9% | 44.1% | 9% | 1983 |
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 Blue Earth 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 Blue Earth County, both outside Minnesota so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MN (193 bridges here).
- Jo Daviess County, IL · 193 bridges
- Cecil County, MD · 193 bridges
- Jasper County, MS · 193 bridges
- Cooper County, MO · 193 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MN (1982 here).
- Oklahoma County, OK · avg 1982 · 1,216 bridges
- Jackson County, MO · avg 1982 · 930 bridges
- Milwaukee County, WI · avg 1982 · 893 bridges
- Champaign County, IL · avg 1982 · 727 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (193)
CR 172
FairOver: STREAM
0.6 MI S OF JCT CSAH 15, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1939 Load: 10.2 t ADT: 154
CR 102
FairOver: MORGAN CREEK
0.2 MI E OF JCT CR 104, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1964 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 42
US 169
FairOver: BLUE EARTH RIVER
0.8 MI W OF JCT TH 66, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1987 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 11,762
CSAH 16
FairOver: LITTLE COBB RIVER
0.3 MI NW OF JCT CR 168, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1961 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 174
CSAH 28
FairOver: LE SUEUR RIVER
0.1 MI N OF JCT CSAH 15, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1958 Load: 23.2 t ADT: 628
CSAH 18
FairOver: MAPLE RIVER
0.4 MI E OF JCT CSAH 1, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1963 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 328
CSAH 10
FairOver: BLUE EARTH RIVER
1.0 MI SE OF JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1956 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 236
CSAH 34
FairOver: BLUE EARTH RIVER
0.1 MI SW OF JCT CR 126, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1966 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 183
CR 115
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
0.1 MI N OF JCT TH 60, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1935 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 33
CSAH 1
FairOver: RICE CREEK
0.9 MI N OF S CO LINE, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1940 Load: 26.7 t ADT: 152
CSAH 16
FairOver: LE SUEUR RIVER
1.2 MI N OF JCT CSAH 35, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1965 Load: 27.1 t ADT: 1,450
CSAH 28
FairOver: MADISON LK OUTLET
0.4 MI N OF JCT CSAH 23, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1966 Load: 27.1 t ADT: 661
CR 191
FairOver: MAPLE RIVER
0.6 MI W OF JCT CSAH 7, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1968 Load: 27.1 t ADT: 146
CR 112
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
0.1 MI N OF JCT TH 60, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1940 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 599
US 14
FairOver: CSAH 3
2.8 MI E OF JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1976 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 16,500
US 14
FairOver: CSAH 3
2.8 MI E OF JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1976 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 18,538
CSAH 24
FairOver: PERCH CREEK
0.7 MI N OF JCT TH 30, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1940 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 142
CR 146
FairOver: MARBLE CREEK
0.8 MI S OF JCT CSAH 25, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1940 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 156
CSAH 13
FairOver: WATONWAN RIVER
0.2 MI E OF JCT CR 125, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1972 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 356
CSAH 20
FairOver: WATONWAN RIVER
1.4 MI N OF JCT CSAH 31, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1977 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 1,160
MN 60
FairOver: CSAH 6
IN LAKE CRYSTAL, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1967 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 11,800
MN 60
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
5.0 MI SW OF W JCT TH 16, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1967 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 14,500
MN 60
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
2.5 MI SW OF W JCT TH 16, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1967 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 13,869
US 169
FairOver: OFF RAMP FROM US 169
0.4 MI W OF JCT TH 66, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1987 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 23,569
MN 68
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
3.5 MI W OF MANKATO, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1942 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 2,464
MN 30
FairOver: PROVIDENCE CRK (JD #49)
1.6 MI E OF AMBOY, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1952 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 1,358
MN 30
FairOver: RYE CREEK
6.0 MI E OF AMBOY, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1953 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 1,274
MN 30
FairOver: STREAM
7.0 MI E OF JCT TH 15, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1954 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 431
MN 68
FairOver: MORGAN CREEK
0.7 MI W OF CAMBRIA, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1935 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 2,800
MN 60
FairOver: CHAN BTWN LAKES
0.4 MI NE OF JCT CSAH 76, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1968 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 14,800
US 14
FairOver: TH 169
AT THE JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1976 Load: 29.6 t ADT: 39,000
CR 113
FairOver: MINNEOPA CREEK
0.1 MI W OF JCT TH 60, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1935 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 23
CSAH 57
FairOver: STREAM; TRAIL
2.1 MI N OF JCT TH 14, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1978 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 2,650
CR 135
FairOver: PERCH CREEK
0.6 MI E OF JCT CSAH 32, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1966 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 21
US 14
FairOver: CSAH 5
1.0 MI E OF JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1976 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 18,500
CR 192
FairOver: MAPLE RIVER
0.6 MI N OF JCT CR 153, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1960 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 149
MN 83
FairOver: LE SUEUR RIVER
4.5 N OF ST CLAIR, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1955 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 2,706
CR 104
FairOver: MORGAN CREEK
0.3 MI S OF JCT CR 102, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1970 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 45
CSAH 53
FairOver: LITTLE COBB RIVER
0.2 MI N OF JCT CSAH 21, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1968 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 338
CSAH 21
FairOver: BIG COBB RIVER
1.4 MI E OF JCT CSAH 52, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1972 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 176
MN 22
FairOver: BIG COBB RIVER
4.8 MI N OF MAPLETON, Blue Earth, MN
Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,500
T 409
FairOver: MORGAN CREEK
0.2 MI S OF JCT CSAH 47, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10
CSAH 10
FairOver: MAPLE RIVER
0.1 MI NW OF JCT CR 166, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1973 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,300
CSAH 20
FairOver: WILLOW CREEK
2.3 MI N OF JCT TH 30, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1972 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 400
MN 22
FairOver: DME RR; STREAM
4.4 MI N OF JCT TH 14, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1978 Load: 34.9 t ADT: 12,472
US 14
FairOver: UP RR
1.4 MI E OF JCT TH 169, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1977 Load: 35.1 t ADT: 15,742
T 355
FairOver: BIG COBB RIVER
0.2 MI S OF JCT CSAH 10, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1967 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 36
CSAH 46
FairOver: MAPLE RIVER
0.3 MI E OF JCT CSAH 7, Blue Earth, MN
Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 248
CR 157
FairOver: STREAM
0.2 MI S OF JCT TH 22, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1940 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 155
CSAH 32
FairOver: CO DITCH # 32
0.5 MI N OF JCT TH 30, Blue Earth, MN
Built 1978 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 107
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.