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.
All bridges (691)
FM 85
FairOver: HOBB BRANCH
0.8 MI W OF FM 1182, Ellis, TX
Built 1949 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,791
FM 1183
FairOver: N BRANCH CUMMINS CREEK
0.15 MI SE OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1952 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 825
FM 876
FairOver: CHAMBERS CREEK
7.1 MI S OF FM 1493, Ellis, TX
Built 1980 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 234
EBENEZER RD
FairOver: GROVE CREEK TRIBUTARY
0.5 MI SE OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 2000 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 45
ENSIGN ROAD
FairOver: CUMMINS CREEK TRIBUTARY
0.3 MI SW OF JCT US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1965 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,185
BARDWELL DAM RD
FairOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK
1.55 MI E OF FM 985, Ellis, TX
Built 1965 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 72
PIGG RD
FairOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK
0.5 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 2010 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 466
PK SCHOOL HOUSE RD
FairOver: MUSTANG CREEK TRIB
0.35 MI E OF US HWY 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1955 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 72
GETZENDANER ROAD
FairOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK
0.95 MI NE OF FM 984, Ellis, TX
Built 1982 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 309
SHAWNEED RD
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
0.6 MI S OF FM 2377, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,200
Novy Road
FairOver: Village Creek Relief
0.6 MI NE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1992 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 52
GREATHOUSE RD
FairOver: DRAW
1.3 MI SE OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1991 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 100
BROOKSIDE RD
FairOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK
0.2 MI E OF IH 35 E, Ellis, TX
Built 1955 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 2,647
LOCUST DRIVE
FairOver: LITTLE CREEK
0.02 MI W OF UHL RD, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 50
WEST MADISON ST
FairOver: CUMMINS CREEK
0.02 MI NE OF SPUR 437, Ellis, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,545
E MLK DR
FairOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
0.1 MI SW OF IH 45, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,754
WEST MAIN STREET
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK TRIBUTARY
0.01 MI W OF FM 664, Ellis, TX
Built 1955 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 3,811
SHILOH RD
FairOver: SHILOH BRANCH
0.2 MI WEST OF FM 664, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 659
SLEEPY HOLLOW RD
FairOver: LITTLE MUSTANG CRK
0.05 MI SW OF WOODCREST, Ellis, TX
Built 1997 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 307
S SONOMA TR
FairOver: COTTONWOOD CREEK
0.2 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 2004 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 307
WATERVIEW PKWY
FairOver: TRIB RED OAK CRK
0.08 MI W OF IH 35E, Ellis, TX
Built 2009 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 158
US 67 NB
FairOver: US 287 BUS
US 67 AT US 287 BUS, Ellis, TX
Built 1969 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 15,248
FM 878
FairOver: BONE BRANCH
2.5 MI W OF FM 813, Ellis, TX
Built 1951 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 2,459
JOE WILSON RD
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
0.4 MI S OF DALLAS CTY LN, Ellis, TX
Built 1975 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 2,404
BAKERS BRANCH RD
FairOver: BAKER BRANCH
0.80 MI SE OF BEARDEN RD, Ellis, TX
Built 1999 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 21
RAMONS RD
FairOver: CLEAR CREEK
1.9 MI SE OF FM 985, Ellis, TX
Built 1988 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 31
IH 35E NB FR
FairOver: US 287
1.40 MI N OF BUS 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1973 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,800
US 67 NBFR
FairOver: SUTTON BRANCH
1.50 MI SW OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1931 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 3,430
FM 876
FairOver: CHAPMAN BRANCH
1.1 MI S OF IH 35E, Ellis, TX
Built 1951 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,035
FM 308
FairOver: DRAW
2.2 MI NW OF IH 35E, Ellis, TX
Built 1951 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 360
DUNKERLEY RD
FairOver: MUSTANG CREEK
1.14 MI SW OF FM 1722, Ellis, TX
Built 1989 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 21
BUS 287 SB
FairOver: LITTLE MUSTANG CREEK
1.7 MI SW OF FM 1722, Ellis, TX
Built 1986 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 4,600
FM 667
FairOver: WHITE ROCK BRANCH
0.75 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,392
FM 667
FairOver: HOG CREEK
3.75 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,090
FM 667
FairOver: MILL CREEK
5.10 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,090
FM 55
FairOver: DRAW
1.80 MI SE OF SH 34, Ellis, TX
Built 1966 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,200
GREATHOUSE ROAD
FairOver: GREATHOUSE BRANCH
2.25 MI SW OF BEARDEN RD, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 62
HIGGINS ROAD
FairOver: CHAMBERS CREEK TRIBUTARY
1.4 MI SW OF BETHEL RD, Ellis, TX
Built 1950 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 21
ROSSON ROAD
FairOver: FLAT ROCK BRANCH
0.3 MI SW OF MORGAN RD, Ellis, TX
Built 1992 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 41
WRIGHT RD
FairOver: CHAMBERS CRK TRIB
1.2 MI W OF IH 35E, Ellis, TX
Built 1993 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 50
OLD MAYPEARL RD
FairOver: GREATHOUSE BRANCH
4.0 MI E OF FM 66, Ellis, TX
Built 1920 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 361
MORGAN RD
FairOver: FLAT ROCK BRANCH
2.5 MI SE OF US 77, Ellis, TX
Built 1990 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 216
US 77
FairOver: LITTLE ONION CREEK
1.0 MI S OF FM 55, Ellis, TX
Built 1927 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,023
FM 813
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK
0.7 MI W OF FM 983, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 3,608
US 287 NB
FairOver: UPRR
0.25 MI SE OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 11,398
US 287 WB
FairOver: MUSTANG CREEK
3.4 MI W OF FM 1722, Ellis, TX
Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 10,886
US 67 NB
FairOver: OVERLOOK DR
0.80 MI NE OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1969 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 17,429
FM 813
FairOver: RED OAK CREEK RELIEF
1.1 MI NW OF FM 878, Ellis, TX
Built 1954 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,949
FM 813
FairOver: GROVE CREEK
2.20 MI NE OF US 287, Ellis, TX
Built 1955 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 4,118
SKINNER ROAD
FairOver: WAXAHACHIE CREEK TRIB
1.05 MI NW OF FM 875, Ellis, TX
Built 2001 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 21
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.