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

LASSEN RD

Fair

Over: SINGER CREEK

2.9 MI E HIGHWAY 99, Tehama, CA

Built 1938 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 60

BUTT RESERVOIR RD

Fair

Over: BUTT RESERVOIR SPILLWAY

9.3 MI SOUTH OF SR 89, Plumas, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 80

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: LONG VALLEY CREEK

01-MEN-101-63.47, Mendocino, CA

Built 1959 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 6,700

ROAD 67

Fair

Over: PANCAKE DRAW

1 MI E OF RD Z, Glenn, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 93

CO ROAD C

Fair

Over: HAMBRIGHT CREEK

0.5 MI N ROAD 200, Glenn, CA

Built 1960 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 51

NORD GIANELLA RD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

0.55 MI W HMTN ND CA HY, Butte, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 83

WHITE ROAD

Fair

Over: RD 108 10P CANAL

2.4 MI E OF JOHNS SCHOOL, Colusa, CA

Built 1970 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 59

ERLE RD

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK REEDS CREEK

1 MI E/O VIRGINIA RD, Yuba, CA

Built 1909 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 190

GEYSERS RD

Fair

Over: FRASIER CREEK

20.4 MI N OF SR 128, Sonoma, CA

Built 1941 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 250

LAUGHLIN RD

Fair

Over: MARK WEST CREEK

1 MI N OF RIVER RD, Sonoma, CA

Built 1910 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 2,338

STATE ROUTE 16

Fair

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

03-YOL-016-20.14, Yolo, CA

Built 1912 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 12,000

COUNTY ROAD 88

Fair

Over: WINTERS CANAL

0.15 MI N OF C.R. #29, Yolo, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 115

SUISUN VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: SUISUN CREEK

0.35 MI S MORRISON LANE, Solano, CA

Built 1909 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,052

WALNUT GROVE XING

Fair

Over: SACRAMENTO RIVER

IN WALNUT GROVE, Sacramento, CA

Built 1952 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 6,626

FRANKLIN BLVD

Fair

Over: STONE LAKE DRAIN

3.2 MI N LAMBERT RD, Sacramento, CA

Built 1925 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 2,346

PERRY CREEK RD

Fair

Over: PERRY CREEK

0.2 MI E/O MT AUKUM RD, El Dorado, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,110

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: GOLDEN GATE-SAN FRAN BAY

04-MRN-101-L0.01, Marin, CA

Built 1937 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 112,000

MADRONE AVE

Fair

Over: SAN ANSELMO CREEK

150 FT E OF NOKOMIS, Marin, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,500

INTERSTATE 5 NB

Fair

Over: BEAVER SLOUGH

10-SJ-005-45.86, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1979 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 25,000

RAWHIDE RD

Fair

Over: PEPPERMINT CREEK

0.3 MI NW/O SR49, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 4,149

SOULSBYVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: CURTIS CREEK

0.8 MI SOUTH OF SR 108, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 3,708

TREASURE ISLAND RD

Fair

Over: SIDEHILL

JSO SHV #4/ JNO SHV #7B, San Francisco, CA

Built 1938 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 3,000

CLOVERDALE RD

Fair

Over: BUTANO CREEK

0.2 MI N CANYON RD, San Mateo, CA

Built 1963 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 193

STAFFORD ST

Fair

Over: CORDILLERAS CREEK

NORTH OF F ST, San Mateo, CA

Built 1903 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 5,000

FRAZIER LAKE ROAD

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF PAJARO RIVER

0.4 MI S/E BLOOMFIELD AVE, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1927 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 3,800

STATE ROUTE 4

Fair

Over: HOODS CREEK

10-STA-004-7.28, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 4,900

LAMPLEY ROAD

Fair

Over: T.I.D. MAIN CANAL

0.2 MI N/O LAKE RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1935 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 288

SNELLING ROAD

Fair

Over: MAIN CANAL

1 MI N LA PALOMA ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1935 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,451

YOUD ROAD

Fair

Over: ESCALADIAN CANAL

1.1 MI E AMSTERDAM RD, Merced, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 123

LA PALOMA ROAD

Fair

Over: MAIN CANAL

0.7 MI NE SNELLING ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1935 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 56

N FRANKWOOD AVE

Fair

Over: ALTA MAIN CANAL

1.15 MI S OF PIEDRA RD, Fresno, CA

Built 1925 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,080

E PARLIER AVE

Fair

Over: TRAVERS CREEK

0.5 MI E ENGLEHART AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1925 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 600

ANZAR ROAD

Fair

Over: SAN JUAN CREEK

0.35 MI W SAN JUAN HWY R, San Benito, CA

Built 1935 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,464

COMSTOCK ROAD

Fair

Over: ARROYO DE LOS VIBORAS

4 MI E FAIRVIEW RD, San Benito, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 1,500

CHOLAME ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE CHOLAME CREEK

0.03 MI S RANCHITA CYN RD, Monterey, CA

Built 1910 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 160

NORTH FORK ROAD

Fair

Over: N FORK LEWIS CREEK

2 MI NE OF SR 198, Monterey, CA

Built 1950 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 200

STATE ROUTE 137

Fair

Over: OUTSIDE CREEK

06-TUL-137-23.38, Tulare, CA

Built 1921 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 21,000

RD 120

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

0.35 MI. N SR 201, Tulare, CA

Built 1939 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 600

AVE 448 (MANNING)

Fair

Over: FRIANT-KERN CANAL

0.1 MI WEST OF ROAD 124, Tulare, CA

Built 1947 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 100

AVE 178 (MTN VIEW)

Fair

Over: FRIANT-KERN CANAL

0.25 MI WEST OF ROAD 232, Tulare, CA

Built 1949 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 150

ROAD 136

Fair

Over: NORTH BRANCH TULE RIVER

0.1 MI S OF A186, Tulare, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 75

VALPREDO AVE

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 5

06-KER-005-21.17, Kern, CA

Built 1967 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 250

9TH AVE

Fair

Over: FRIANT-KERN CANAL

0.6 MI EAST OF ZACHARY AV, Kern, CA

Built 1955 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 390

ZACHARY AVE

Fair

Over: FRIANT-KERN CANAL

0.4 MI SOUTH OF POND RD, Kern, CA

Built 1949 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 150

STATE ROUTE 192

Fair

Over: SANTA MONICA CANYON

05-SB-192-16.57, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1928 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 2,600

RINCON HILL RD

Fair

Over: RINCON CREEK

0.45 MI N OF SR 150, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1915 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 191

CARPINTERIA RD

Fair

Over: CARPINTERIA CREEK

0.2 MI S OF CASITAS PASS, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1937 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 17,400

MERLIN DRIVE

Fair

Over: ENCANTO CREEK

150 FT S/O MARKET ST, San Diego, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 5,743

HOLMES FLAT RD

Fair

Over: EEL RIVER

NEAR HOLMES, Humboldt, CA

Built 1999 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 100

LOFGREN ROAD

Fair

Over: IRRIGATION LATERAL

1 MI W MIDWAY RD, Butte, CA

Built 1920 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 20

Showing 1,051-1,100 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.