County profile · official public datasets

Washington County, MO

157 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 33.8% rated Good, 56.1% Fair, 10.2% Poor.

157
Public bridges
33.8%
Good condition
10.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Washington 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.

71st
of 115 on Poor share
10.2%
Poor-condition share
157
public highway bridges
1966
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 #71 of 115 Missouri counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 10.2%). Washington County, Missouri contains 157 public highway bridges. Roughly 33.8% are rated “Good,” 56.1% “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

157

Public highway bridges in Washington County

Good condition

33.8%

53 of 157 rated 7-9

Fair condition

56.1%

88 of 157 rated 5-6

Poor condition

10.2%

16 of 157 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#71 of 115

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

Condition distribution

Share of 157 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
33.8% (53)
Fair
56.1% (88)
Poor
10.2% (16)

Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 12,758 vehicle crossings a day

That is 8% 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 797 crossings a day against 852 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 157 of 157 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

67.5% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

106 of the 157 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 33.8% 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 49% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

MO 8 E over UP RR, built 1968, carries 6,254 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 16-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 12,758 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

157 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 42 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 26.8% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1966, 13 years older than the Missouri average of 1979.

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

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

The 5 Missouri counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 10.2% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1966 against a peer-group mean of 1974 is 8 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 114 Missouri counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Washington County and the 5 Missouri counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Andrew County 162 14.8%
Texas County 162 7.4%
Dade County 161 5%
Washington County (this page) 157 10.2%
Phelps County 156 8.3%
Clinton County 152 9.9%

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 Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MO (157 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MO (1966 here).

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

All 157 Good 53 Fair 88 Poor 16

Fair-condition bridges (88)

MO 185 S

Fair

Over: RABBIT BR

S 14 T 38 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1941 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 578

RT F S

Fair

Over: BR OF BRETON CR

S 430 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1955 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,232

MO 185 S

Fair

Over: COLE BR

S 30 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1938 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 578

MO 21 S

Fair

Over: CEDAR CR

S 13 T 35 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1987 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 2,103

MO 32 E

Fair

Over: LOST CR

S 8 T 35 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1934 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 1,490

RT E S

Fair

Over: SHIBBOLETH BR

S 21 T 38 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1953 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 888

MO 185 S

Fair

Over: MILLERS SWAN BR

S 29 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1961 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 578

RT U S

Fair

Over: BR WALLEN CR

S 5 T 36 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1956 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 993

RT P S

Fair

Over: N FK FOURCHE RENAU

S 30 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1957 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 1,101

RT H E

Fair

Over: TURKEY BR

S 3022 T 40 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1933 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 879

RT A E

Fair

Over: RICHWOODS CR

S 32 T 40 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1949 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 436

RT C E

Fair

Over: DENT BR

S 23 T 35 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1934 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,028

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: BRETON CR

S 16 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1929 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 3,697

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: DRAIN DTCH

S 17 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1930 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 3,697

RT P S

Fair

Over: FOURCHE RENAULT CR

S 36 T 37 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1957 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 1,101

RT M E

Fair

Over: DRY CR

S 14 T 36 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1900 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,186

VILLMER RD

Fair

Over: OLD MINES CR

S 3039 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

RT AA E

Fair

Over: NICHOLSON SPR BR

S 6 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1960 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 200

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: HARVEY CR

S 23 T 37 N R 1 W, Washington, MO

Built 1932 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,738

RT AA E

Fair

Over: SWAN BR

S 6 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1960 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 200

RT A E

Fair

Over: LIT INDIAN CR

S 31 T 40 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1977 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 436

RT T S

Fair

Over: PINERY CR

S 22 T 39 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1962 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 142

MO 21 S

Fair

Over: OLD MINES CR

S 3039 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1933 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 7,144

MO 47 S

Fair

Over: OLDS MINES CR

S 30 T 39 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 2001 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 1,575

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: BR MILL CR

S 18 T 37 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1968 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 6,254

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: RACE CR

S 21 T 37 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1922 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 3,697

MO 185 S

Fair

Over: EBO CR

S 14 T 38 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1961 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 578

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: BR LOST CR

S 19 T 37 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1932 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,738

MO 21 S

Fair

Over: CANNON MINE

S 28 T 39 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1932 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 3,949

RT AA E

Fair

Over: LIT FOURCHE RENAUL

S 35 T 38 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1960 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 200

RT W S

Fair

Over: CICERO CR

S 8 T 38 N R 1 W, Washington, MO

Built 1963 Load: 47.7 t ADT: 90

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: BATES CR

S 430 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1992 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 3,697

RT CC E

Fair

Over: MADDIN CR

S 1875 T 39 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1964 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 855

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: BR OF BRETON CR

S 17 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1930 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 3,697

RT U S

Fair

Over: MILL CR

S 15 T 36 N R 3 E, Washington, MO

Built 1987 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 993

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: LOST CR

S 19 T 37 N R 1 E, Washington, MO

Built 1932 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 1,738

RT P S

Fair

Over: MINE AU BRETON CR

S 13 T 37 N R 2 E, Washington, MO

Built 1995 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 1,101

MO 8 E

Fair

Over: MANION BR

S 13 T 37 N R 1 W, Washington, MO

Built 1932 Load: 63.9 t ADT: 1,738

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.