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

CHESTNUT STREET

Fair

Over: WOODBRIDGE ID MAIN CANAL

NORTH OF W TURNER ROAD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,617

FEATHER RIVER DR

Fair

Over: FOURTEEN MILE SLOUGH

1.0 MI N OF MARCH LANE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,300

JACK TONE ROAD

Fair

Over: N FK S LITTLEJOHNS CREEK

0.4 MI N/O E VERDON RD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,684

QUANTAS LANE

Fair

Over: WEBER CREEK S BRANCH

W OF RTE 99 S OF AIRPORT, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,000

MARIPOSA ROAD OH

Fair

Over: AUSTIN ROAD & BNSF RY

1 MILE WEST OF KAISER RD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,397

HOLMAN ROAD

Fair

Over: MOSHER SLOUGH

N OF MORADA LANE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,000

BETHANY ROAD

Fair

Over: W. SIDE IRRIGATION CANAL

0.6 MI EAST OF BYRON ROAD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 271

MORADA LANE

Fair

Over: MOSHER SLOUGH

1 MILE W OF ROUTE 99, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,800

INDUSTRIAL DRIVE

Fair

Over: NORTH LITTLE JOHNS CREEK

JUST E OF POCK LANE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

WHISTLER WAY

Fair

Over: PIXLEY SLOUGH

EAST OF THORNTON ROAD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,597

LATHROP RD

Fair

Over: UP RR & SSJID CANAL

0.5 MI W AIRPORT WY, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,498

LOWERSACRAMENTO RD

Fair

Over: WOODBRIDGE ID MAIN CANAL

0.5 MI S OF WOODBRIDGE RD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,116

KELLEY ROAD

Fair

Over: MOSHER SLOUGH

EAST OF I-5 PM 33.5, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,100

PRODUCERS DRIVE

Fair

Over: NORTH LITTLE JOHNS CREEK

NEAR INDUSTRIAL DRIVE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,000

DAVIS ROAD

Fair

Over: PIXLEY SLOUGH

SOUTH OF WEST 8 MILE ROAD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,200

MCBRIDE ROAD

Fair

Over: SSJD CANAL

AT RIVER ROAD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 361

MARIPOSA ROAD

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.25 MI S/E OF SR 99, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,642

ARCH AIRPORT ROAD

Fair

Over: FRENCH CAMP SLOUGH

0.34 MI EAST OF ROUTE 5, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,818

ARCH AIRPORT ROAD

Fair

Over: MCKINLEY UPRR PANATONI

0.81 MI EAST OF ROUTE 5, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,818

ARCH AIRPORT ROAD

Fair

Over: UP RAILROAD TRACKS

0.97 MI EAST OF ROUTE 5, San Joaquin, CA

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,818

STATE ROUTE 12

Fair

Over: HAUPT CREEK

10-CAL-012-13.93, Calaveras, CA

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,500

STATE ROUTE 4

Fair

Over: MCCARTY CREEK

10-CAL-004-R4.85, Calaveras, CA

Built 1972 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,050

STATE ROUTE 4

Fair

Over: GARDNER LANE

10-CAL-004-R21.42, Calaveras, CA

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,900

SCHADD ROAD

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK MOKELUMNE RI

4 MI E OF WILSEYVILLE, Calaveras, CA

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 35

RAILROAD FLAT RD

Fair

Over: JESUS MARIA CREEK

1.8 MI. S. JESUS MARIA RD, Calaveras, CA

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 571

SILVER RAPIDS RD

Fair

Over: KATHY CREEK

1 MI E JCT WITH SR 26, Calaveras, CA

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,014

CAMANCHE PARKWAY

Fair

Over: MOKELUMNE RIVER

2.6 MI NE OF BURSON RD, Calaveras, CA

Built 1964 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 874

RAILROAD FLAT RD

Fair

Over: LICKING FK MOKELUMNE RIV

3.1 MI SE SR 26, Calaveras, CA

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 369

POOL STATION ROAD

Fair

Over: SAN DOMINGO CREEK

7.6 MI NORTH OF SR4, Calaveras, CA

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 459

POOL STATION RD

Fair

Over: SAN ANTONIO CREEK

7.8 MI NORTH OF SR 4, Calaveras, CA

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 459

TREAT AVENUE

Fair

Over: SAN ANDREAS CREEK

0.15 MI NE OF SR 49, Calaveras, CA

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,358

STATE ROUTE 88

Fair

Over: CAPLES LAKE SPILLWAY

10-ALP-088-0.46, Alpine, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,800

STATE ROUTE 4

Fair

Over: PACIFIC CREEK

10-ALP-004-11.99, Alpine, CA

Built 1937 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,250

DIAMOND VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: WEST FORK CARSON RIVER

SOUTH OF SH 88, Alpine, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

DIAMOND VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.8 MI E AIRPORT RD, Alpine, CA

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 157

HIGHLAND LAKE RD

Fair

Over: MOKELUMNE RIVER

3.3 MI S OF S.H. 4, Alpine, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

SR 108

Fair

Over: SERA & SANGUINETTI RD

10-TUO-108-R2.02-SRA, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 17,450

SR 108

Fair

Over: SIERRA RR SANGUINETTI RD

10-TUO-108-R2.02-SRA, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,500

CROOKED LANE

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 108

10-TUO-108-R0.65-SRA, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

STATE ROUTE 108

Fair

Over: MID FORK STANISLAUS RIV

10-TUO-108-53.26, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 900

SR 108

Fair

Over: SULLIVAN CRK / BERGEL RD

10-TUO-108-R2.78, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,800

SR 108

Fair

Over: HESS AVENUE

10-TUO-108-R3.42, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,800

SR 108

Fair

Over: MONO WAY

10-TUO-108-4.90, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,800

EVERGREEN ROAD

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK TUOLUMNE RIV

5.2 MI N STATE RTE 120, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 465

PHOENIX LAKE RD

Fair

Over: SULLIVAN CREEK

4.1 MI NE OF SR 108, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,796

EVERGREEN ROAD

Fair

Over: ACKERSON CREEK

2.8 MI NORTH OF ROUTE 120, Tuolumne, CA

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 265

I580-ISABEL AVE

Fair

Over: ARROYO LAS POSITAS

04-ALA-580-13.86, Alameda, CA

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

INTERSTATE 580

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

04-ALA-580-15.63, Alameda, CA

Built 1972 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 217,000

INTERSTATE 580

Fair

Over: RANCHO DRAIN

04-ALA-580-17.57-PLE, Alameda, CA

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 221,000

INTERSTATE 580 EB

Fair

Over: TASSAJARA CREEK

04-ALA-580-18.32-PLE, Alameda, CA

Built 1966 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 102,500

Showing 6,351-6,400 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.