State profile · Below median Poor share

California bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in California.

25,848
Public bridges
45.6%
Good condition
5.9%
Poor condition

California holds 25,848 public highway bridges (#4 of 52 by inventory) with a 5.91% Poor share (#28 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 5.9% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 25 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

25,848

Public highway bridges in California

Good Condition

45.6%

11,798 bridges rated 7-9

-4.4pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

5.9%

1,527 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-1.6pp vs national avg 7.5%

California vs national bridge condition

California - Good condition share 45.6%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

California - Poor-condition share 19.7%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

California in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: California has 25,848 bridges and a 5.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #25 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: California has 25,848 bridges and a 5.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #25 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

California vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

25,848 4th of 54 higher than 50 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for California

The highlighted point is California: 25,848 bridges and 5.91% in Poor condition, rank #25 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below California on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Arkansas: 12,974 bridges · 5.43% Poor
  • Washington: 8,474 bridges · 5.45% Poor
  • California: 25,848 bridges · 5.91% Poor
  • New Jersey: 6,827 bridges · 6.01% Poor
  • Mississippi: 16,739 bridges · 6.03% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in California

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 25,848 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains California’s inventory

State agency holds 48.8% of the 25,848 public highway bridges filed under California in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When California’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 15.5% of the 25,848 bridges with a recorded original year in California. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

California45.6%48.4%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - California (FHWA NBI)

Counties (58)

Alameda 658 Alpine 32 Amador 61 Butte 437 Calaveras 105 Colusa 211 Contra Costa 618 Del Norte 96 El Dorado 192 Fresno 916 Glenn 242 Humboldt 396 Imperial 444 Inyo 66 Kern 668 Kings 168 Lake 129 Lassen 108 Los Angeles 3547 Madera 247 Marin 207 Mariposa 109 Mendocino 357 Merced 528 Modoc 87 Mono 49 Monterey 377 Napa 158 Nevada 135 Orange 1164 Placer 337 Plumas 165 Riverside 1117 Sacramento 740 San Benito 76 San Bernardino 1422 San Diego 1632 San Francisco 143 San Joaquin 644 San Luis Obispo 401 San Mateo 361 Santa Barbara 418 Santa Clara 964 Santa Cruz 192 Shasta 492 Sierra 65 Siskiyou 421 Solano 373 Sonoma 609 Stanislaus 386 Sutter 121 Tehama 450 Trinity 194 Tulare 589 Tuolumne 125 Ventura 501 Yolo 271 Yuba 127

California vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below California on the same metric.

AR

Arkansas

5.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,974

WA

Washington

5.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,474
Selected

CA

California

5.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$25,848

NJ

New Jersey

6.01% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$6,827

MS

Mississippi

6.03% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$16,739

Bridges Needing Most Attention in California

Six lowest-condition bridges in California, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

OLD COTTONWOOD CR

Poor

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

0.2 MI E/O COTTONWOOD CK, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1957 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

STATE ROUTE 211

Poor

Over: EEL RIVER

01-HUM-211-78.10, Humboldt, CA

Built 1911 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 5,300

CR 305 (MAPES RD)

Poor

Over: HARTSON SLOUGH

0.4 MI E/O RD 303, Lassen, CA

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

CR 111 (PITTVILLE)

Poor

Over: BEAVER CREEK

1.0 MI S OF CR 404, Lassen, CA

Built 1975 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

RD 424 (BASSETT)

Poor

Over: WILLOW CREEK

1.5 MI N OF RD A-2, Lassen, CA

Built 1960 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 120

CR417 (PUNKIN CTR)

Poor

Over: MUDDY SLOUGH NO 1

2.8 MI S OF CR A2, Lassen, CA

Built 1955 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 200

All Bridges in California

DOTTA-GUIDICCI RD

Fair

Over: LAST CHANCE CREEK

0.6 MI W FRENCHMAN LKE RD, Plumas, CA

Built 1965 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

BKWTH GRNVILLE RD

Fair

Over: HOSSELKUS CREEK

0.3 MI W OF GENESSEE, Plumas, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: OUTLET CREEK

01-MEN-101-50.66, Mendocino, CA

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,950

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

01-MEN-101-66.50, Mendocino, CA

Built 1953 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,750

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: BRIDGES CREEK

01-MEN-101-97.47, Mendocino, CA

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,100

STATE ROUTE 20

Fair

Over: COLD CREEK

01-MEN-020-R39.16, Mendocino, CA

Built 1965 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,400

STATE ROUTE 1 SB

Fair

Over: OCEANSIDE BLUFF

01-MEN-001-3.81, Mendocino, CA

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,200

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

01-MEN-101-93.71, Mendocino, CA

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,100

STATE ROUTE 128

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

01-MEN-128-43.44, Mendocino, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

STATE ROUTE 128

Fair

Over: ANDERSON CREEK

01-MEN-128-28.29, Mendocino, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,200

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: PIETA CREEK

01-MEN-101-R5.94, Mendocino, CA

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,300

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: SR 271 (@ PM 3.38)

01-MEN-101-R87.67, Mendocino, CA

Built 1967 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,150

US HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: EAST HILL ROAD

01-MEN-101-44.99, Mendocino, CA

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,000

STATE ROUTE 271

Fair

Over: U.S. 101 (@ PM R101.90)

01-MEN-271-17.03, Mendocino, CA

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 810

STATE ROUTE 162

Fair

Over: CORRAL CREEK

01-MEN-162-2.21, Mendocino, CA

Built 1959 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 860

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: BEAR PEN RD (PRIVATE)

01-MEN-101-R101.06, Mendocino, CA

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,100

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: DORA CREEK

01-MEN-101-96.49, Mendocino, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,100

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: FORSYTHE CREEK

01-MEN-101-R31.88, Mendocino, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 19,000

WEST ROAD

Fair

Over: U.S. HIGHWAY 101

01-MEN-101-R32.63, Mendocino, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,725

STATE ROUTE 1

Fair

Over: HILLSIDE

01-MEN-001-83.54, Mendocino, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,185

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: RUSSIAN NCRA/NWP GEYSERS

01-MEN-101-R0.48, Mendocino, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,300

STATE ROUTE 162

Fair

Over: LONG VALLEY CREEK

01-MEN-162-R0.03, Mendocino, CA

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 860

STATE ROUTE 1

Fair

Over: DUNN CREEK

01-MEN-001-92.83, Mendocino, CA

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 810

MOUNTAIN HOUSE RD

Fair

Over: FELIZ CREEK

0.1 MI SW SR101 HOPLAND, Mendocino, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,272

EEL RIVER RD

Fair

Over: EEL RIVER

5 MI N MAIN IN POTTR VLY, Mendocino, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 279

N STATE ST

Fair

Over: HENSLEY CREEK

0.2 MI S LAKE MNDOCINO DR, Mendocino, CA

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,190

EAST RD

Fair

Over: WEST BRANCH RUSSIAN RIV

E OF JCT W RD & TOMKI RD, Mendocino, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 846

MENDOCINO PASS RD

Fair

Over: WILLIAMS CREEK

8.0 MI E/O COVELO, Mendocino, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 226

BRANSCOMB RD

Fair

Over: CAHTO CREEK

22.32 MI E FROM SH 1, Mendocino, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 478

E SIDE POTTER VLY

Fair

Over: EAST FORK RUSSIAN RIVER

0.3 MI N RTE 20, Mendocino, CA

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,699

VICHY SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: RUSSIAN RIVER

0.8 MI E/O RTE 101, Mendocino, CA

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,718

WILDERNESS LDGE RD

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK EEL RIVER

1.8 MI N BRANSCOMB RD, Mendocino, CA

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 114

IRR EAST LANE

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.0 MI E OF SR 162, Mendocino, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 889

HIBBARD ROAD

Fair

Over: RANCHERIA CREEK

ADJACENT TO SR 128, Mendocino, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 126

TOMKI RD

Fair

Over: TOMKI CREEK

0.2 MI N JCT CR 308, Mendocino, CA

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 130

HEARST-WILLITS RD

Fair

Over: STRING CREEK

4.3 MI NW REYNOLDS HWY, Mendocino, CA

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 208

ROBINSON CREEK RD

Fair

Over: ROBINSON CREEK

3.00 MI N SH 253, Mendocino, CA

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 168

ROBINSON CREEK RD

Fair

Over: ROBINSON CREEK

3.15 MI N SH 253, Mendocino, CA

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 168

ORR SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK BIG RIVER

13.4 MI W US 101, Mendocino, CA

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 134

DOBIE RD

Fair

Over: TURNER CREEK

0.10 MI S CR 327-A, Mendocino, CA

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 210

AIRPORT RD

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

0.3 MI S HOWARD ST, Mendocino, CA

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 142

POPPY DR

Fair

Over: WILLITS CREEK

1.4 MI N PRIMROSE DR, Mendocino, CA

Built 1977 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 545

MILL CREEK DR

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

AT W. COMMERCIAL ST, Mendocino, CA

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

PINE AVENUE

Fair

Over: BURRIGHT CREEK

1 MI E E SIDE POTTER VLY, Mendocino, CA

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 165

RAILROAD AVENUE

Fair

Over: BAECHTEL CREEK

0.1 MI EAST OF RT 101, Mendocino, CA

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

ROBINSON CREEK RD

Fair

Over: ROBINSON CREEK

3.00 MILES WEST OF SR 253, Mendocino, CA

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 40

FOREST ROAD 200

Fair

Over: WEST CHAMBERLAIN CREEK

1.4 MI N JCT SR 20, Mendocino, CA

Built 1957 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

FOREST ROAD 800

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK BIG RIVER

0.1 MILE SOUTH OF SR 20, Mendocino, CA

Built 1958 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

FOREST ROAD 100

Fair

Over: JAMES CREEK

0.4 MI N JCT SR 20, Mendocino, CA

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

FOREST ROAD 360

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK NOYO RIVER

AT JCT WITH RD 350, Mendocino, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

Showing 5,501-5,550 of 25,848 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

Use California's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in California and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. California Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.