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

STATE ROUTE 76 WB

Fair

Over: MISSION AVE

11-SD-076-R4.55-OCN, San Diego, CA

Built 1999 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 23,000

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: WOODMAN AVE

07-LA-101-14.89-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1959 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 291,000

WORLD WAY WEST

Fair

Over: PERSHING DRIVE

0.5 MI S/O WESTCHESTER PK, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1973 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 12,600

BARTON RD

Fair

Over: SAN TIMOTEO CREEK

0.3 MI W CALIFORNIA ST, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1972 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 24,760

MAIN STREET

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 60

08-RIV-060-11.73-RIV, Riverside, CA

Built 1962 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 10,800

STATE ROUTE 76 EB

Fair

Over: MISSION AVE

11-SD-076-R4.55-OCN, San Diego, CA

Built 1999 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 23,000

Ave. 456

Fair

Over: Friant-Kern Canal

SE Orange Cove, Tulare, CA

Built 1948 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 50

IRR SHERWOOD RD

Fair

Over: CURLEY COW CREEK

9 MI N/W OF US HWY 101, Mendocino, CA

Built 1988 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 377

"I" STREET

Fair

Over: SACRAMENTO UP BNSF AMTRA

AT SACRAMENTO CO. LINE, Yolo, CA

Built 1911 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 4,938

S101-S280 CONNECTO

Fair

Over: 280/101 IC -ALEMANY BLVD

04-SF-101-1.94-SF, San Francisco, CA

Built 1960 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 56,000

NAVELENCIA AVE

Fair

Over: ALTA EAST BRANCH CANAL

0.1 MI N/O AMERICAN AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1975 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 700

S57-E10 CONNECTOR

Fair

Over: I 10 & N71-W10 CONNECTOR

07-LA-057-R7.72-SDMS, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 29,750

SAINT LOUIS RD

Fair

Over: US HIGHWAY 101 & NCRRA

01-HUM-101-87.48-ARC, Humboldt, CA

Built 1976 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 2,099

OLD OREGON TRAIL

Fair

Over: MOODY CREEK

0.2 MI E OASIS & AKRICH, Shasta, CA

Built 1976 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 2,300

ROAD 43

Fair

Over: DRAIN A

0.2 MI E ROAD TT, Glenn, CA

Built 1947 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 6

CLARK DRIVE

Fair

Over: COLE CREEK

0.7 MI S/O SODA BAY RD, Lake, CA

Built 1940 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 114

INTERSTATE 505

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD SLOUGH

03-YOL-505-9.66, Yolo, CA

Built 1980 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 6,000

POCKET ROAD

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 5

03-SAC-005-16.15-SAC, Sacramento, CA

Built 1974 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 15,500

W80-BARRETT OFFRMP

Fair

Over: SAN PABLO AVENUE

04-CC-080-2.97-RCH, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1964 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 12,220

INTERSTATE 580 EB

Fair

Over: BEAUMONT AVE

04-ALA-580-R42.18-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1963 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 82,000

INTERSTATE 580 WB

Fair

Over: BEAUMONT AVE

04-ALA-580-R42.18-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1963 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 82,000

STATE ROUTE 140

Fair

Over: MILES CREEK

10-MPA-140-4.06, Mariposa, CA

Built 1916 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 4,650

LOS GATOS ROAD

Fair

Over: LOS GATOS CREEK

11.95 MI W OF DERRICK BL, Fresno, CA

Built 1974 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 200

STATE ROUTE 14 SB

Fair

Over: UP RR & BNSF RY

09-KER-014-R15.33, Kern, CA

Built 1990 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 8,975

INTERSTATE 5

Fair

Over: PAXTON STREET

07-LA-005-39.05-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1963 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 275,000

STATE ROUTE 1

Fair

Over: TEXACO OH

07-LA-001-8.69-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 33,000

INTERSTATE 40

Fair

Over: ARBOL DITCH

08-SBD-040-R129.78, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1971 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 13,600

INTERSTATE 40

Fair

Over: ARBOL DITCH

08-SBD-040-R129.82, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1971 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 13,600

N57-W91 CONN RAMP

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 91

12-ORA-057-15.57-ANA, Orange, CA

Built 1974 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 15,410

WASHINGTON STREET

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 163

11-SD-163-2.75-SD, San Diego, CA

Built 1942 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 29,356

CADY RD

Fair

Over: WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL

0.37 MI S/O SR 86 & KALIN, Imperial, CA

Built 1975 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 1,150

WESTSIDE RD

Fair

Over: OREGON GULCH

0.2 MI N KENYON DR, Shasta, CA

Built 1957 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 1,100

BRANDY CITY ROAD

Fair

Over: CHEROKEE CREEK

1.1 MI N INTX CR S490, Sierra, CA

Built 1940 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 20

LARK AVE

Fair

Over: LOS GATOS CREEK

WEST OF SH 17, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1965 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 40,000

E LAGUNA AVE

Fair

Over: GRANT CANAL (E DITCH)

0.20 MI W/O MAPLE AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1925 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 50

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: HAVENHURST AVE

07-LA-101-18.61-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1958 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 296,000

TEMPLE AVE

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 405

07-LA-405-4.33-LBCH, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1964 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 6,000

INTERSTATE 210

Fair

Over: NEW YORK AVE

07-LA-210-R16.47-GNDL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 166,000

MCCABE RD

Fair

Over: CENTRAL MAIN CANAL

25 FT E/O AUSTIN RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1975 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 1,100

FRESHWATER ROAD

Fair

Over: SALT CREEK

0.1 MI E OF I-5, Colusa, CA

Built 1968 Load: 61.6 t ADT: 829

GARROD DRIVE

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 113

03-YOL-113-R0.08, Yolo, CA

Built 1974 Load: 61.6 t ADT: 2,500

BLUE RAVINE ROAD

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

0.6 MI S OF E BIDWELL RD, Sacramento, CA

Built 1986 Load: 61.6 t ADT: 18,500

PESCADERO RD

Fair

Over: PESCADERO CREEK

2 MI E BUTANO CUTOFF, San Mateo, CA

Built 1937 Load: 61.6 t ADT: 720

LASSEN PARK ROAD

Fair

Over: WEST FORK SULPHUR CREEK

2 miles north of South En, Shasta, CA

Built 1964 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 300

ALFRED HARRELL HWY

Fair

Over: ALFRED HARRELL HWY

0.4 MI E CHINA GRADE LOOP, Kern, CA

Built 1957 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 7,250

SIXTH ST

Fair

Over: UPRR

50FT S/O MISSION RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1979 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 8,778

ROUTE 57

Fair

Over: TONNER CANYON RD

12-ORA-057-21.78, Orange, CA

Built 1971 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 210,000

OLD CAZADERO RD

Fair

Over: HUBERT CREEK

0.9 MI NW SH 116, Sonoma, CA

Built 1955 Load: 62.2 t ADT: 950

MORELLI LANE

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK LANCEL CREEK

0.65 MI N BOHEMIAN HWY, Sonoma, CA

Built 1970 Load: 62.2 t ADT: 100

BANCROFT AVE

Fair

Over: SAN LEANDRO CREEK

0.1 MI N/O CALLAHAN AVE, Alameda, CA

Built 1948 Load: 62.2 t ADT: 10,600

Showing 12,251-12,300 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.