County profile · official public datasets

Bowie County, TX

331 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 46.5% rated Good, 52.9% Fair, 0.6% Poor.

331
Public bridges
46.5%
Good condition
0.6%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Bowie County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

Top 44%
lowest Poor share in state
0.6%
Poor-condition share
331
public highway bridges
1975
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.

Bowie County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Bowie County ranks #108 of 247 Texas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0.6%). Bowie County, Texas contains 331 public highway bridges. Roughly 46.5% are rated “Good,” 52.9% “Fair,” and 0.6% “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

331

Public highway bridges in Bowie County

Good condition

46.5%

154 of 331 rated 7-9

Fair condition

52.9%

175 of 331 rated 5-6

Poor condition

0.6%

2 of 331 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#108 of 247

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

Condition distribution

Share of 331 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
46.5% (154)
Fair
52.9% (175)
Poor
0.6% (2)

Bowie County's Poor-condition bridges carry 359 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 0.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 180 crossings a day against 6,522 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 331 of 331 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

57.4% of Bowie County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

190 of the 331 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 46.5% 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 86.1% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

SHERWOOD FOREST RD over AIKEN CREEK, built 1979, carries 309 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 2-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 359 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Bowie County's bridges were built

331 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 72 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.8% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1975, 5 years older than the Texas average of 1980.

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

How Bowie County compares with Texas's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Texas counties nearest Bowie County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0.6% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1975 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is 5 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 246 Texas counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Bowie County and the 5 Texas counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Parker County 350 1.1%
Navarro County 345 1.2%
Galveston County 344 2.9%
Victoria County 344 2.3%
Bowie County (this page) 331 0.6%
Tom Green County 310 0.6%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside TX (331 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside TX (1975 here).

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

Fair-condition bridges (175)

FORESTRY RD

Fair

Over: CREEK

E FORK OF ELLIOT CREEK, Bowie, TX

Built 1942 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 10

CANEY ROAD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

BTWN BASS WOOD/OLD BOSTON, Bowie, TX

Built 1942 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 10

ARTERIAL RD. #3

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

0.2 KM E. OF BLDG 2159, Bowie, TX

Built 1942 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 100

FM 1840

Fair

Over: IH 30

2.30 MI SW OF SH 98, Bowie, TX

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 580

US 67

Fair

Over: BOONE CREEK

2.30 MI E OF FM 991 W, Bowie, TX

Built 1947 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,335

US 67

Fair

Over: AIKEN CREEK RELIEF

0.25 MI W OF FM 991, Bowie, TX

Built 1947 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 7,986

FM 991

Fair

Over: NETTLES CREEK

0.80 MI N OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1959 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 875

FM 991

Fair

Over: NETTLES CREEK RELIEF

0.90 MI N OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1959 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 875

FM 991

Fair

Over: ELLIOTT CREEK

2.20 MI N OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1959 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 875

US 82

Fair

Over: RED BAYOU

1.30 MI W OF SH 98, Bowie, TX

Built 1946 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 8,760

US 82

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

0.20 MI E OF SH 8, Bowie, TX

Built 1925 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,481

US 82

Fair

Over: SWAMPOODLE CREEK

0.20 MI W OF LOOP 14, Bowie, TX

Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 15,211

SH 8

Fair

Over: MEADE CREEK

2.20 MI N OF IH 30, Bowie, TX

Built 1963 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,576

SH 8

Fair

Over: THOMPSON CREEK

3.10 MI S OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,881

SH 8

Fair

Over: SULPHUR RIVER RELIEF

4.90 MI S OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,881

SH 8

Fair

Over: SULPHUR RIVER

5.25 MI S OF US 67, Bowie, TX

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,881

US 259

Fair

Over: DRAW

1.60 MI S OF FM 561, Bowie, TX

Built 1931 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,631

US 259

Fair

Over: DOGWOOD CREEK

3.60 MI N OF FM 561, Bowie, TX

Built 1931 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,801

US 259

Fair

Over: WARD CREEK

2.90 MI S OF FM 44, Bowie, TX

Built 1931 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,898

FM 992

Fair

Over: DRAW

2.20 MI S OF US 82, Bowie, TX

Built 1931 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,796

US 259

Fair

Over: BOOTHE CREEK

0.40 MI S OF FM 561, Bowie, TX

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,631

FM 992

Fair

Over: DRAW

1.30 MI S OF US 82, Bowie, TX

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,796

US 59

Fair

Over: BEE SLOUGH

2.30 MI N OF IH 30, Bowie, TX

Built 1988 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 10,822

SH 93

Fair

Over: HOWARD CREEK

0.65 MI NE OF US 59, Bowie, TX

Built 1926 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 7,691

FM 1840

Fair

Over: CAMPBELL CREEK

1.10 MI E OF SH 98, Bowie, TX

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,630

IH 30

Fair

Over: BUTLER CREEK

0.50 MI E OF FM 990, Bowie, TX

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 32,265

IH 30 ML & NFR

Fair

Over: E FORK MISSILDINE CREEK

0.40 MI E OF FM 1840, Bowie, TX

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 32,265

HARRIS FERRY RD

Fair

Over: IH 30

4.30 MI SW OF FM 561, Bowie, TX

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 50

IH 30

Fair

Over: WARD CREEK

1.10 MI W OF FM 44, Bowie, TX

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 31,764

IH 30

Fair

Over: E FORK PANTHER CREEK

0.10 MI W OF FM 560, Bowie, TX

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 33,443

IH 30

Fair

Over: W FORK RICE CREEK

0.20 MI E OF SH 98, Bowie, TX

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 33,314

IH 30 WB

Fair

Over: US 82

2.80 MI W OF SH 8, Bowie, TX

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 15,815

IH 30

Fair

Over: RED BAYOU

0.50 MI W OF SH 8, Bowie, TX

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 35,710

IH 30

Fair

Over: BRANDHAM CREEK

0.20 MI W OF SPUR 86, Bowie, TX

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,090

IH 30

Fair

Over: COWHORN CREEK

0.40 MI W OF SH 93, Bowie, TX

Built 1963 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 44,531

IH 30

Fair

Over: E FORK OF COWHORN CRK

0.50 MI NE OF SH 93, Bowie, TX

Built 1963 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 49,925

IH 30 & EBFR

Fair

Over: WAGGONER CREEK

0.95 MI W OF US 59, Bowie, TX

Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 31,100

IH 30 & EBFR

Fair

Over: WAGGONER CREEK RELIEF

0.70 MI W OF US 59, Bowie, TX

Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 31,100

IH 30 ML & EBFR

Fair

Over: COWHORN CREEK TRIB

0.80 MI SW OF FM 1397, Bowie, TX

Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 44,531

IH 30

Fair

Over: WEST JONES CREEK

0.20 MI W OF SPUR 74, Bowie, TX

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 34,456

IH 30

Fair

Over: E JONES CREEK

0.10 MI W OF FM 1398, Bowie, TX

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 34,456

IH 30 & RAMPS

Fair

Over: RAIN CREEK

0.10 MI W OF FM 2253, Bowie, TX

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 35,284

IH 30

Fair

Over: RAIN CREEK

0.60 MI E OF FM 2253, Bowie, TX

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 33,840

IH 30 EB FRTG RD

Fair

Over: COWHORN CREEK

0.90 MI E OF FM 559, Bowie, TX

Built 1980 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 5,204

FM 559

Fair

Over: DRAW

3.00 MI NW OF FM 1397, Bowie, TX

Built 1953 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 724

FM 559

Fair

Over: COWHORN CREEK

0.90 MI NW OF SH 93, Bowie, TX

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 20,650

FM 560

Fair

Over: BLACK BOTTOM CREEK

3.50 MI N OF IH 30, Bowie, TX

Built 1993 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 244

FM 560

Fair

Over: DRAW

1.80 MI N OF IH 30, Bowie, TX

Built 1994 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,204

FM 992

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

1.80 MI N OF US 82, Bowie, TX

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 566

FM 992

Fair

Over: HOLLY CREEK

5.70 MI N OF US 82, Bowie, TX

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 146
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.