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 66 (Rogers St)
GoodOver: IH 35E
0.3 MI S OF FM 1466, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,700
US 77
GoodOver: SOUTH PRONG CREEK
2.4 MI S OF SH 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,604
US 77
GoodOver: BIG ONION CREEK
2.7 MI S OF FM 55, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,023
Brookside Drive
GoodOver: IH 35 E
2.1 Mi SW of US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,750
IH 35 E
GoodOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK
1.7 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 59,719
IH 35 E
GoodOver: US 287 BUS AND UP RR
1.4 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 54,983
IH 35E
GoodOver: US 287
1.40 MI N OF BUS 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,070
IH 35 E
GoodOver: SOUTH GROVE CREEK
1.89 MI NE of US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 38,581
IH 35E
GoodOver: N GROVE CREEK
2.25 MI S OF BUS 77, Ellis, TX
Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 31,500
US 77
GoodOver: CHAMBERS CREEK RELIEF
3.2 MI N OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,380
US 77
GoodOver: CHAMBERS CREEK
3.0 MI N OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,380
US 77
GoodOver: HOG CREEK
1.5 MI SW OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,448
US 77
GoodOver: MILL CREEK
0.75 MI NE OF FM 308, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,448
IH 35E
GoodOver: SOUTH PRONG CR
2.1 MI S OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 36,335
FM 308
GoodOver: IH 35E
4.6 MI S OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 220
DALE ACRES RD
GoodOver: IH 35E ML
3.8 MI S OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
IH 45 SB ML
GoodOver: BEAR CREEK
5.1 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 23,771
FM 879 / GARRET RD
GoodOver: IH 45
IH 45 AT FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,000
IH 45 NBML
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
2.0 MI S OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,955
IH 45 SBML
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
2.0 MI S OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 23,075
IH 45 NBML
GoodOver: GROVE CREEK
2.4 MI N OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,955
IH 45 SBML
GoodOver: GROVE CREEK
2.4 MI N OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 23,075
IH 45 BUS LP
GoodOver: IH 45 ML
2.9 MI N OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,500
FM 813
GoodOver: IH 45
4.2 MI N OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,460
IH 45 NBML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #3
1.6 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,847
IH 45 SBML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #3
1.6 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,609
IH 45 NBML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #2
1.70 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,847
IH 45 SB ML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #2
1.7 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,609
IH 45 NB ML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #1
9.55 MI N OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,847
IH 45 SBML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF #1
2.0 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,609
IH 45 NBML
GoodOver: RED OAK CREEK
2.1 MI N OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,847
IH 45 NB
GoodOver: SH 34
0.8 MI N OF FM 1181, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,229
IH 45 SB
GoodOver: SH 34
0.8 MI N OF FM 1181, Ellis, TX
Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,665
CRISP RD
GoodOver: IH 45
2.2 MI S OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 990
BUS 45
GoodOver: IH 45
1.3 MI S OF FM 879, Ellis, TX
Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,710
IH 45 NB
GoodOver: FM 85
2.1 MI S OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20,509
FM 1181
GoodOver: IH 45
0.8 MI S OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,360
FM 1182
GoodOver: IH 45
5.5 MI SE OF FM 85, Ellis, TX
Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,100
IH 45 NB
GoodOver: FM 1183
3.40 MI SE OF FM 85, Ellis, TX
Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 26,359
IH 45 SB
GoodOver: FM 1183
3.40 MI SE OF FM 85, Ellis, TX
Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 26,305
US 287 SB
GoodOver: MOUNTAIN CREEK
4.1 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,534
US 287 SB
GoodOver: SOAP CREEK
3.6 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 17,858
US 287 NB
GoodOver: ST PAUL ROAD
4.65 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 29,393
US 287 NB
GoodOver: MOUNTAIN CREEK
4.0 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,859
US 287 NB
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
3.05 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,187
US 287 SB
GoodOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
3.05 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 17,858
US 287 NB
GoodOver: SOAP CREEK
3.6 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,187
US 287 NB
GoodOver: BUS US 287
0.5 MI E OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,350
US 287 SB
GoodOver: BUS US 287
0.5 MI E OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,350
US 287 NB
GoodOver: RAWLS BRANCH
0.85 MI NW OF US 67, Ellis, TX
Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,187
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.