Total bridges
691
Public highway bridges in Ellis County
County profile · official public datasets
Ellis County, TX
691 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 53.3% rated Good, 45.2% Fair, 1.6% Poor.
- 691
- Public bridges
- 53.3%
- Good condition
- 1.6%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Ellis County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.
- 164th
- of 247 on Poor share
- 1.6%
- Poor-condition share
- 691
- public highway bridges
- 1987
- 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 #164 of 247 Texas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 1.6%). Ellis County, Texas contains 691 public highway bridges. Roughly 53.3% are rated “Good,” 45.2% “Fair,” and 1.6% “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.
Good condition
53.3%
368 of 691 rated 7-9
Fair condition
45.2%
312 of 691 rated 5-6
Poor condition
1.6%
11 of 691 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#164 of 247
Among Texas counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 691 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 53.3% (368)
Fair 45.2% (312)
Poor 1.6% (11)
Ellis County's Poor-condition bridges carry 3,713 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 1.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 338 crossings a day against 9,423 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 691 of 691 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
32.3% of Ellis County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
223 of the 691 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 53.3% 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 40.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
IH 45 BUS LP over IH 45 ML, built 1992, carries 1,500 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 3,713 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
691 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 5
1920–1929
5 bridges
- 1930s 10
1930–1939
10 bridges
- 1940s 8
1940–1949
8 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
97 bridges
- 1960s 50
1960–1969
50 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
69 bridges
- 1980s 54
1980–1989
54 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
154 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
110 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
119 bridges
- 2020s 15
2020–2029
15 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 154 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 22.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1987, 7 years newer than the Texas average of 1980.
How Ellis County compares with Texas's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Texas counties nearest Ellis County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 1.6% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1987 against a peer-group mean of 1988 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 246 Texas counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 783 | 54.4% | 44.8% | 0.8% | 1986 |
| McLennan County | 714 | 51.8% | 46.2% | 2% | 1980 |
| Montgomery County | 710 | 69.2% | 30.1% | 0.7% | 1998 |
| Ellis County (this page) | 691 | 53.3% | 45.2% | 1.6% | 1987 |
| Bell County | 660 | 54.7% | 45% | 0.3% | 1984 |
| Brazoria County | 618 | 62.8% | 34.8% | 2.4% | 1990 |
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 Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside TX (691 bridges here).
- El Paso County, CO · 686 bridges
- Broward County, FL · 686 bridges
- Douglas County, OR · 699 bridges
- Bucks County, PA · 699 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside TX (1987 here).
- St. Louis County, MO · avg 1987 · 912 bridges
- St. Louis County, MN · avg 1987 · 663 bridges
- Palm Beach County, FL · avg 1987 · 610 bridges
- Dane County, WI · avg 1987 · 590 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Good-condition bridges (368)
FM 2377
GoodOver: DRAW
0.4 MI SE OF SH 342, Ellis, TX
Built 1957 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,932
Hornik Road
GoodOver: Walker Creek
0.53 MI SE OF FM 1181, Ellis, TX
Built 1989 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 101
EBENEZER RD
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
2.1 MI S OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 284
14TH STREET
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB
0.1 MI S OF US 287 BUS, Ellis, TX
Built 2002 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 500
STACKS STREET
GoodOver: FOUNTAIN CREEK
0.25 MI S OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1999 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 134
SH 342
GoodOver: COLE CREEK
0.9 MI N OF FM 664, Ellis, TX
Built 1963 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 6,721
US 77
GoodOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
0.1 MI N OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1976 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 30,363
IH 35E
GoodOver: PRINCE BRANCH
0.3 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1957 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 49,891
IH 45
GoodOver: DRAW
1.7 MI S OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 40,485
US 287 BUS
GoodOver: DRAW
0.3 MI SE OF IH 35E, Ellis, TX
Built 1926 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 3,840
US 287 BUS
GoodOver: TOWN BRANCH
2.1 MI W OF IH 45, Ellis, TX
Built 1932 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 9,200
FM 85
GoodOver: BURNS BRANCH
3.0 MI W OF FM 1182, Ellis, TX
Built 1949 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,791
FM 1183
GoodOver: S BRANCH CUMMINS CREEK
2.5 MI SE OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1952 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 544
FM 1722
GoodOver: DRAW
4.5 MI NW OF US 287 BUS, Ellis, TX
Built 1953 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,153
PLUTO ROAD
GoodOver: MILL CREEK
1.8 MI SW OF FM 308, Ellis, TX
Built 2010 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 62
E CAMPUS RD
GoodOver: GROVE CREEK
1.0 MI S OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 300
E JEFFERSON ST
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB
0.4 MI SE OF US 77, Ellis, TX
Built 1974 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 958
BROADHEAD STREET
GoodOver: COLE CREEK
1.20 MI E OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2009 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 100
JETER DR
GoodOver: TOWN BRANCH
0.1 MI N OF BUS 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 4,394
S MIDLOTHIAN PKWY
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB
0.50 MI S OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2002 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 500
SPRINGER RD
GoodOver: TRIB SHILOH BRANCH
0.2 MI E OF BRYSON LN, Ellis, TX
Built 2018 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 158
SLEEPY HOLLOW RD
GoodOver: LITTLE MUSTANG CRK
0.03 MI NW OF WOODCREST, Ellis, TX
Built 2017 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 307
VICKSBURG DR
GoodOver: DRAW
0.2 MI NE OF ENSIGN RD, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 307
PRAIRIE RIDGE WB
GoodOver: SOAP CREEK
0.7 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2009 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 280
PRAIRIE RIDGE EB
GoodOver: SOAP CREEK
0.7 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2009 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 280
ROSSVILLE DRIVE
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CR TRIB.
0.26 MI W OF BRIGHTON DR., Ellis, TX
Built 2017 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 200
BRIGHTON DRIVE
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB.
0.3 MI S OF BELMONT DR., Ellis, TX
Built 2017 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 100
S. 14TH STREET
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB.
0.9 MI S OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2017 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 2,000
POPPIE LANE
GoodOver: S PRONG CREEK TRIB.
0.17 MI SW OF COUNTRY S, Ellis, TX
Built 2021 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 150
S 14TH STREET
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB.
1.9 MI S OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2018 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 2,000
BRIANA DRIVE
GoodOver: SOUTH PRONG CREEK
0.11 S OF MILLIGAN DR., Ellis, TX
Built 2020 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 200
INDIAN DR
GoodOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
0.2 MI W OF US 77, Ellis, TX
Built 1998 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 6,455
14TH STREET
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CR TRIBUTARY
0.7 MI S OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2018 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 2,000
LOWE STREET
GoodOver: MOUNTAIN CREEK TRIBUTARY
0.05 MI SE OF LONESTAR, Ellis, TX
Built 1989 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 52
IH 35E SB FR
GoodOver: US 287
1.40 MI N OF BUS 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1973 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 110
FM 667
GoodOver: ELM BRANCH
6.05 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,090
US 287 SB
GoodOver: UPRR
0.25 MI SE OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 1971 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 12,569
IH 35E WFR
GoodOver: BIG ONION CREEK
6.1 MI S OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1965 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,004
BUS 287 WB
GoodOver: LITTLE MUSTANG CREEK
1.7 MI SW OF FM 1722, Ellis, TX
Built 1986 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 4,600
FM 157
GoodOver: E FORK CHAMBERS CREEK
2.2 MI NW OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1957 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 3,210
US 287 SB ML
GoodOver: US 287 BUS & LONG BRANCH
US 287 AT US 287 BUS, Ellis, TX
Built 1973 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 16,717
FM 157
GoodOver: SPRING BRANCH
5.3 MI NW OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1957 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,544
FM 983
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
2.7 MI NE OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1957 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,633
FM 664
GoodOver: BEAR CREEK BRANCH
1.9 MI E OF SH 342, Ellis, TX
Built 1967 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 5,900
FM 2258
GoodOver: BOGGY BRANCH
0.8 MI SW OF FM 157, Ellis, TX
Built 1965 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 1,525
SH 342
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK
0.70 MI NE OF US 77, Ellis, TX
Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 28,260
US 77
GoodOver: NORTH GROVE CREEK
2.9 MI N OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 19,644
US 77
GoodOver: SOUTH GROVE CREEK
2.2 MI N OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30,363
US 77
GoodOver: MUSTANG CREEK
0.55 MI N OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30,363
FM 1446 (Cantrell)
GoodOver: IH 35E
2.1 MI S OF US 287 BUS, Ellis, TX
Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,450
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.