County profile · official public datasets

Jefferson County, NE

241 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 53.5% rated Good, 24.1% Fair, 22.4% Poor.

241
Public bridges
53.5%
Good condition
22.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Jefferson 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.

85th
of 88 on Poor share
22.4%
Poor-condition share
241
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.

Jefferson County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Jefferson County ranks #85 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 22.4%). Jefferson County, Nebraska contains 241 public highway bridges. Roughly 53.5% are rated “Good,” 24.1% “Fair,” and 22.4% “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

241

Public highway bridges in Jefferson County

Good condition

53.5%

129 of 241 rated 7-9

Fair condition

24.1%

58 of 241 rated 5-6

Poor condition

22.4%

54 of 241 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#85 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 241 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
53.5% (129)
Fair
24.1% (58)
Poor
22.4% (54)

Jefferson County's Poor-condition bridges carry 6,910 vehicle crossings a day

That is 9.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 22.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 128 crossings a day against 382 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 241 of 241 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

52.3% of Jefferson County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

126 of the 241 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 53.5% 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 32.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US136 over LITTLE BLUE RIVER, built 1972, carries 2,225 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 54-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 6,910 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Jefferson County's bridges were built

241 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 84 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 34.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1969, 8 years older than the Nebraska average of 1977.

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

How Jefferson County compares with Nebraska's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Jefferson County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 22.4% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1969 against a peer-group mean of 1978 is 9 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 87 Nebraska counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Jefferson County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Wayne County 251 9.6%
Scotts Bluff County 250 5.2%
Seward County 244 7.8%
Holt County 241 1.7%
Jefferson County (this page) 241 22.4%
Boone County 237 3.8%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (241 bridges here).

Similar average build year

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

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

All 241 Good 129 Fair 58 Poor 54

All bridges (241)

N4

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT N4/N103 7.1W, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,015

N8

Fair

Over: ROSE CREEK

0E THOMPSON, Jefferson, NE

Built 1998 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 830

N8

Fair

Over: STREAM

.5N STEELE CITY, Jefferson, NE

Built 1992 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 545

US136

Fair

Over: STREAM

1W FAIRBURY, Jefferson, NE

Built 1972 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 2,225

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4S 3.5W OF DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

8W 2.7S OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 37.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

1S 2.9W OF ENDICOTT, Jefferson, NE

Built 1940 Load: 60.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

.5E 4.6S PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 66.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

4S 1.2W OF DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 1958 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

7E OF DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 1974 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 45

COLL 7734

Good

Over: CUB CREEK

3S 3.2E OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1974 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 75

ROSCOE STREET

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

ENDICOTT ROSCOE ST, Jefferson, NE

Built 1940 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: S FK SWAN CREEK

1W N15 SALINE CL, Jefferson, NE

Built 1975 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 70

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

4W .4S OF POWELL, Jefferson, NE

Built 1979 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.5W .9S OF REYNOLDS, Jefferson, NE

Built 1965 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

.2N 2W OF ENDICOTT, Jefferson, NE

Built 1974 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 25

558 AVE

Good

Over: BUCKLEY CREEK TRIB

2S US136 THAYER CL, Jefferson, NE

Built 2008 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

FAS 2985

Good

Over: BUCKLEY CREEK

SJCT N8/N15 .6S 8.6W, Jefferson, NE

Built 1979 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 65

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

1.2W 1S OF DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 2005 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 20

COLL 7723

Good

Over: STREAM

3E 2.2S OF REYNOLDS, Jefferson, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

3.5E OF GLADSTONE, Jefferson, NE

Built 1993 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

3N .5E THOMPSON, Jefferson, NE

Built 1990 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 65

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2N .5E OF RENOLDS, Jefferson, NE

Built 2008 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2.7N 2.1E OF REYNOLDS, Jefferson, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2.7N 3.2E REYNOLDS, Jefferson, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: BIG INDIAN CREEK

1.4W 2.1S OF HARBINE, Jefferson, NE

Built 2006 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 20

FAS 3015

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT N4/N103 4.1W 2S, Jefferson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 615

COLL 7733

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT N103/N8 2.6S, Jefferson, NE

Built 1993 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: BRAWNERS CREEK

SALE BARN ACCESS ROAD, Jefferson, NE

Built 1954 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 2,090

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2N 5.7W OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1990 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25

COLL 7723

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT US136/N15 4.5W 1.3S, Jefferson, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 2880

Good

Over: STREAM

SJCT N8/N15 .5N 2.5W, Jefferson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 155

COLL 7735

Good

Over: WHISKEY RUN CREEK

JCT US136/N15 2.1W 1.7N, Jefferson, NE

Built 1997 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 10

FAS 2900

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT N4/N15 6S 5.9W, Jefferson, NE

Built 1980 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 85

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2.5E 1N OF GLADSTONE, Jefferson, NE

Built 2002 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

FAS 3005

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT US136/N15 3.9N 5E, Jefferson, NE

Built 1961 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 145

FAS 3005

Good

Over: STREAM

NJCT N4/N15 5E 1.8N, Jefferson, NE

Built 1975 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 255

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2.5E 2.9N OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 2002 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2N 2.7E OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1988 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2N 2.9E OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1988 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2N 3.5E OF PLYMOUTH, Jefferson, NE

Built 1994 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

1.2E 2.4S OF POWELL, Jefferson, NE

Built 1990 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

4.5E GLADSTONE, Jefferson, NE

Built 1993 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CUB CREEK

3W 1.4N OF JANSEN, Jefferson, NE

Built 2005 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

6S OF FAIRBURY, Jefferson, NE

Built 2006 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 2985

Good

Over: STREAM

SJCT N4/N15 6.1S 6W, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 95

FAS 2985

Good

Over: STREAM

SJCT N4/N15 6W 5.9S, Jefferson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 130

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

1.2S 1.5E OF STEELE CITY, Jefferson, NE

Built 1982 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

N4

Good

Over: STREAM

2E DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,115

N8

Good

Over: STREAM

3SE FAIRBURY, Jefferson, NE

Built 1954 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,240

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.