Total bridges
372
Public highway bridges in Wharton County
County profile · official public datasets
Wharton County, TX
372 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 52.2% rated Good, 44.4% Fair, 3.5% Poor.
- 372
- Public bridges
- 52.2%
- Good condition
- 3.5%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Wharton County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- 221st
- of 247 on Poor share
- 3.5%
- Poor-condition share
- 372
- public highway bridges
- 1983
- 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.
Wharton County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Wharton County ranks #221 of 247 Texas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 3.5%). Wharton County, Texas contains 372 public highway bridges. Roughly 52.2% are rated “Good,” 44.4% “Fair,” and 3.5% “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
52.2%
194 of 372 rated 7-9
Fair condition
44.4%
165 of 372 rated 5-6
Poor condition
3.5%
13 of 372 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#221 of 247
Among Texas counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 372 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 52.2% (194)
Fair 44.4% (165)
Poor 3.5% (13)
Wharton County's Poor-condition bridges carry 1,367 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 3.5% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 105 crossings a day against 3,458 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 372 of 372 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
44.6% of Wharton County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
166 of the 372 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 52.2% 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 19.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
PINCHOT ST over TRES PALACIOS RIVER, built 1985, carries 267 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 13-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 1,367 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Wharton County's bridges were built
372 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 16
1920–1929
16 bridges
- 1930s 16
1930–1939
16 bridges
- 1940s 3
1940–1949
3 bridges
- 1950s 20
1950–1959
20 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
71 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
53 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
30 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
38 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
33 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
50 bridges
- 2020s
2020–2029
42 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 71 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1983) matches the Texas average (1980).
How Wharton County compares with Texas's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Texas counties nearest Wharton County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 3.5% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1983 against a peer-group mean of 1984 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 246 Texas counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webb County | 383 | 49.6% | 48.8% | 1.6% | 1977 |
| Wharton County (this page) | 372 | 52.2% | 44.4% | 3.5% | 1983 |
| Fayette County | 371 | 44.7% | 52.3% | 3% | 1975 |
| Brazos County | 370 | 62.4% | 37.6% | 0% | 1989 |
| Cameron County | 355 | 62% | 37.5% | 0.6% | 1992 |
| Parker County | 350 | 49.7% | 49.1% | 1.1% | 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 Wharton 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 Wharton County, both outside Texas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside TX (372 bridges here).
- Clinton County, IA · 372 bridges
- Johnson County, IA · 372 bridges
- Harper County, KS · 372 bridges
- Harvey County, KS · 372 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside TX (1983 here).
- Sedgwick County, KS · avg 1983 · 1,333 bridges
- Will County, IL · avg 1983 · 649 bridges
- Bernalillo County, NM · avg 1983 · 496 bridges
- Black Hawk County, IA · avg 1983 · 489 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (372)
FM 2546
FairOver: PORTERS CREEK
1.25 MI W OF FM 1160, Wharton, TX
Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 194
FM 2765
FairOver: TRES PALACIOS RIVER
1.30 MI SW OF SH 71, Wharton, TX
Built 1978 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,023
FM 2546
FairOver: JONES CREEK
1.75 MI N OF FM 2765, Wharton, TX
Built 1966 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 286
FM 647
FairOver: MIDDLE MUSTANG CREEK
0.50 MI W OF US 59, Wharton, TX
Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 86
CR 434
FairOver: DRAW
2.00 MI S OF FM 441, Wharton, TX
Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 49
FM 3086
FairOver: MOCCASIN CREEK
3.30 MI S OF FM 441, Wharton, TX
Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 122
JR COLLEGE BLVD
FairOver: BAUGHMAN SLOUGH
0.90 MI N OF CO RD 112, Wharton, TX
Built 1988 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,049
CR 257
FairOver: PEACH CREEK
0.7 MI S OF FM 102, Wharton, TX
Built 1998 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 330
US 59
FairOver: DRAW
0.45 MI S OF FM 647, Wharton, TX
Built 1976 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 43,577
US 59
FairOver: PREISLER CREEK
1.50 MI NE OF FM 1161, Wharton, TX
Built 1928 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 33,077
SH 60 & BU 59 R
FairOver: PEACH CREEK
0.35 MI S OF US 59, Wharton, TX
Built 1928 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 7,004
BU 59
FairOver: BLUE CREEK
1.40 MI SW OF US 59, Wharton, TX
Built 1967 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 7,363
FM 1160
FairOver: GOBBLER CREEK
0.05 MI S OF FM 1300, Wharton, TX
Built 1920 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 542
FM 441
FairOver: EAST CARANCAHUA CREEK
6.30 MI W OF SH 71, Wharton, TX
Built 1948 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 303
FM 1301
FairOver: CANEY CREEK
1.00 MI NW OF FM 442, Wharton, TX
Built 1928 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 6,218
CO RD 129
FairOver: PEACH CREEK
2.33 MI S OF FM 1161, Wharton, TX
Built 1985 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 500
CR 254
FairOver: W BERNARD CREEK RELIEF
0.7 MI W OF FM 1164, Wharton, TX
Built 1940 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 90
CO RD 207
FairOver: SANDY BRANCH #2
3.08 MI N OF CO RD 322, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 180
CO RD 207
FairOver: SANDY BRANCH #3
4.18 MI N OF CO RD 322, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 180
CO RD 207
FairOver: SANDY BRANCH #4
0.2 MI S OF CO RD 204, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 350
CO RD 207
FairOver: SANDY BRANCH #5
1.0 MI N OF CO RD 204, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 220
CR 279
FairOver: MIDDLE BERNARD CREEK
0.15 MI NE OF CO RD 262, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 20
CR 279
FairOver: WEST BERNARD CREEK
0.9 MI NE OF US 90A, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 20
CR 270
FairOver: WEST BERNARD CREEK
1.2 MI E OF CO RD 279, Wharton, TX
Built 1920 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 90
CR 291
FairOver: MIDDLE BERNARD CREEK
1.2 MI N OF US 90A, Wharton, TX
Built 1965 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 290
CR 444
FairOver: JONES CREEK RELIEF
3.91 MI E OF FM 1162, Wharton, TX
Built 1987 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 310
CR 330
FairOver: EAST CARANCAHUA CREEK
0.65 MI W OF FM 3086, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 130
CO RD 382
FairOver: MIDDLE MUSTANG CREEK
1.50 MI W OF THD CR 507, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 890
CO RD 382
FairOver: WEST MUSTANG CREEK
3.10 MI W OF THD CR 507, Wharton, TX
Built 1984 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 200
CO RD 358
FairOver: EAST MUSTANG CREEK
0.11 MI W OF FM 441, Wharton, TX
Built 1965 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 60
CO RD 211
FairOver: WEST BERNARD CREEK
4.40 MI N OF FM 1161, Wharton, TX
Built 1970 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 250
CO RD 211
FairOver: CLARKS BRANCH
2.2 MI N OF FM 1161, Wharton, TX
Built 1970 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 250
W 5TH ST
FairOver: TRES PALACIOS RIVER
0.35 MI SW OF SH 71, Wharton, TX
Built 1978 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 2,670
US 59 SB
FairOver: SH 71
1.00 MI E OF FM 1163, Wharton, TX
Built 1970 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 17,756
US 59 SB
FairOver: COLORADO RIVER
0.9 MI S OF FM 102, Wharton, TX
Built 1972 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 13,901
US 59 NB
FairOver: COLORADO RIVER
0.9 MI S OF FM 102, Wharton, TX
Built 1972 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 13,901
BU 59 R
FairOver: WEST BERNARD CREEK
0.55 MI NE OF SH 60, Wharton, TX
Built 1928 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 736
FM 1300
FairOver: PORTERS CREEK
1.75 MI W OF FM 1160, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 529
FM 1160
FairOver: WEST MUSTANG CREEK
1.90 MI W OF SH 71, Wharton, TX
Built 1956 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 427
US 59 SB
FairOver: BU 59 S & KCS RR
1.55 MI W OF FM 1163, Wharton, TX
Built 1970 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 17,737
US 59 NB
FairOver: COLORADO RIVER N RELIEF
0.75 MI S OF FM 102, Wharton, TX
Built 1972 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 13,901
BU 59 R
FairOver: KCS RR
0.60 MI S OF SH 60, Wharton, TX
Built 1965 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,711
FM 1300
FairOver: WEST MUSTANG CREEK
0.10 MI W OF FM 441, Wharton, TX
Built 1960 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 865
CO RD 352
FairOver: EAST MUSTANG CREEK
1.43 MI W OF US 59, Wharton, TX
Built 1992 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 70
RYCADE ST
FairOver: CANEY CREEK
0.4 Mi NE of FM 1301, Wharton, TX
Built 1985 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 49
CR 418
FairOver: DRAW
2.40 MI E OF SH 71, Wharton, TX
Built 1989 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 30
CR 461
FairOver: DRAW
1.93 MI S OF FM 961, Wharton, TX
Built 1993 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 210
CR 307
FairOver: EAST CARANCAHUA CREEK #1
0.49 MI S OF FM 441, Wharton, TX
Built 2009 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 20
US 59 NB
FairOver: BU 59 S & KCS RR
1.55 MI W OF FM 1163, Wharton, TX
Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 17,737
US 59 NB
FairOver: EAST FORK JONES CREEK
2.40 MI SW OF FM 961, Wharton, TX
Built 1928 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 13,684
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.