Total bridges
237
Public highway bridges in Palo Pinto County
County profile · official public datasets
Palo Pinto County, TX
237 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 41.8% rated Good, 57.8% Fair, 0.4% Poor.
- 237
- Public bridges
- 41.8%
- Good condition
- 0.4%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Palo Pinto 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 40%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 0.4%
- Poor-condition share
- 237
- public highway bridges
- 1962
- 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.
Palo Pinto County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Palo Pinto County ranks #99 of 247 Texas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0.4%). Palo Pinto County, Texas contains 237 public highway bridges. Roughly 41.8% are rated “Good,” 57.8% “Fair,” and 0.4% “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.
Good condition
41.8%
99 of 237 rated 7-9
Fair condition
57.8%
137 of 237 rated 5-6
Poor condition
0.4%
1 of 237 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#99 of 247
Among Texas counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 237 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 41.8% (99)
Fair 57.8% (137)
Poor 0.4% (1)
Palo Pinto County's Poor-condition bridges carry 3,180 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 0.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,180 crossings a day against 1,484 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 237 of 237 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
80.2% of Palo Pinto County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
190 of the 237 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 41.8% 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 100% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
US 180 over BRAZOS RIVER, built 1948, carries 3,180 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 1-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 3,180 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Palo Pinto County's bridges were built
237 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1910s 1
1910–1919
1 bridges
- 1920s 24
1920–1929
24 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
29 bridges
- 1940s
1940–1949
32 bridges
- 1950s 22
1950–1959
22 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
25 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
61 bridges
- 1980s 3
1980–1989
3 bridges
- 1990s 7
1990–1999
7 bridges
- 2000s 20
2000–2009
20 bridges
- 2010s 11
2010–2019
11 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 61 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 25.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1962, 18 years older than the Texas average of 1980.
How Palo Pinto County compares with Texas's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Texas counties nearest Palo Pinto County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0.4% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1962 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is 17 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 246 Texas counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock County | 242 | 45.9% | 53.7% | 0.4% | 1988 |
| Nacogdoches County | 237 | 21.1% | 73.4% | 5.5% | 1978 |
| Palo Pinto County (this page) | 237 | 41.8% | 57.8% | 0.4% | 1962 |
| San Patricio County | 235 | 47.7% | 50.6% | 1.7% | 1978 |
| Eastland County | 234 | 40.6% | 58.1% | 1.3% | 1965 |
| Montague County | 234 | 47% | 50.4% | 2.6% | 1985 |
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 Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto County, both outside Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside TX (237 bridges here).
- Hawaii County, HI · 237 bridges
- Winona County, MN · 237 bridges
- DeKalb County, MO · 237 bridges
- Boone County, NE · 237 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside TX (1962 here).
- Berks County, PA · avg 1962 · 667 bridges
- Bristol County, MA · avg 1962 · 384 bridges
- Norfolk County, MA · avg 1962 · 343 bridges
- Ottawa County, KS · avg 1962 · 295 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (137)
US 281
FairOver: MOORE CREEK
3.10 MI NORTH OF FM 52, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1930 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 2,650
US 281
FairOver: TURKEY CREEK
0.2 MI S FM 2270, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1930 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 3,693
FM 4
FairOver: IH 20
6.05 MI SW OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1971 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 864
SH 16
FairOver: TRIB N FK PALO PINTO CR
100 FT S OF FM 207, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 885
SH 16
FairOver: TRIB OF MIDDLE CREEK
0.45 MI N OF FM 207, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 464
SH 254
FairOver: KEECHI CREEK
1.620 MI E OF FM-4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1968 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,466
FM 129
FairOver: DRY BRANCH
2.93 MI E OF FM 4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1961 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 174
OAK ST - PCT 1
FairOver: McQUERRY BRANCH
.1 MI S OF US180 PALO PIN, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 100
SH 16
FairOver: CANTRELL CK/EDWARDS BR
1.1 MI N OF IH 20, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1921 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 819
IH 20 NFR
FairOver: ROCKY BLUFF CR
2.0 MI W OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1935 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 163
US 281 SB
FairOver: BRAZOS RIVER
2.2 MI N OF IH20, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1939 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,351
US 281 NB
FairOver: Brazos River
2.2 Mi. N. of IH20, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,351
IH 20 EB
FairOver: SH 108
3.15 MI SW OF SH 193, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 13,386
FM 4
FairOver: PALO PINTO CREEK
1.65 MI N OF FM 2201, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 918
SH 16
FairOver: ROCK CREEK
0.2 MI E OF LP533 ON SH16, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,912
LOOP 533
FairOver: ROCK CREEK
0.2 MI S OF SH 16, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,584
FM 919
FairOver: PALO PINTO CREEK
12.5 M S 180 4.2 M N I20, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 379
COOK RD- PCT 2
FairOver: EAST FORK KEECHI CREEK
2.6 MI N OF FM-52, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
MITCHEL HILL PCT 3
FairOver: FORK OF BARTON CREEK
MITCHELL HILL ROAD-PCT 3, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
DYE LANE - PCT 2
FairOver: BRANCH OF KEECHI CREEK
0.8 MI N OF SH-337, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50
OAK ST - PCT 1
FairOver: CORBIN BRANCH
0.1 MI S OF US 180, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50
SARTAIN ROAD PCT 3
FairOver: FORK OF WHATLEY CREEK
0.1 E WITHERS ROAD, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
US 180 WB
FairOver: POLLARD CREEK
0.85 MI WEST OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 4,932
IH 20 WB
FairOver: BARTON CREEK
1.3 MI W OF SH 193, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1970 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 9,510
IH 20 EB
FairOver: BARTON CREEK
1.3 MI W OF SH 193, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1970 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 9,510
SH 254
FairOver: DARK VALLEY CREEK
4.2 MI W OF FM 4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1963 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,433
SH 254
FairOver: DARK VALLEY CREEK
4.0 MI W OF FM 4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1963 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,433
NORTH OAK AVENUE
FairOver: POLLARD CREEK
0.39 MI SOUTH OF FM3027, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1925 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 544
IH 20 EB
FairOver: BUCK CREEK
2.5 MI E OF FM 4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1971 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 9,760
IH 20 WB
FairOver: BUCK CREEK
2.5 MI E OF FM 4, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1971 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 9,760
E. BANKHEAD PCT 1
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
0.2 MI N US180 W SH337, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1924 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 50
IH 20 EB
FairOver: ROCKY BLUFF CR
2.0 MI W OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1971 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 9,760
IH 20 WB
FairOver: ROCKY BLUFF CR
2.0 MI W OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1971 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 9,760
US 180 EB
FairOver: POLLARD CREEK
0.85 MI WEST OF US 281, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1961 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 4,997
US 180
FairOver: LITTLE IONI CREEK
1.6 MI E OF SH16 ON US180, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1958 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,200
US 180
FairOver: BIG IONI CREEK
2.0 MI E OF SH16 ON US180, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1958 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,200
SH 16
FairOver: BRAZOS RIVER
1.8 MI S OF FM 2353, Palo Pinto, TX
Built 1942 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 502
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.