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

BENICIA ROAD

Good

Over: INTERSTATE 80 & RAMPS

04-SOL-080-2.44, Solano, CA

Built 1958 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 6,510

DENVERTON RD

Good

Over: DENVERTON SLOUGH

0.22 MI S RTE 12, Solano, CA

Built 1925 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 30

WEST CHANNEL RD

Good

Over: SULPHUR SPRING VALLEY CR

0.2 MI S OF 2ND ST, Solano, CA

Built 1943 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,578

STATE ROUTE 104

Good

Over: GRIFFITH CREEK

03-SAC-104-5.78, Sacramento, CA

Built 1918 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 4,300

RIO LINDA BLVD

Good

Over: HAGGINWOOD CREEK

AT ACACIA AVE, Sacramento, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 13,699

SHADY LANE

Good

Over: ROSS CREEK

NEAR LOCUST ST, Marin, CA

Built 1909 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,800

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Good

Over: OLEMA CREEK

0.32 MI W SH 1, Marin, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 3,000

DEER PARK DR

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

0.1 MI E OAK GROVE RD, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1967 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,000

GOLF CLUB ROAD

Good

Over: CONTRA COSTA CANAL

AT PASO NOGAL, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 5,000

STATE ROUTE 84

Good

Over: ARROYO DE LA LAGUNA

04-ALA-084-17.22, Alameda, CA

Built 1939 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 13,500

HYDE ST

Good

Over: HILLSIDE

0.1 MI S BAY ST, San Francisco, CA

Built 1931 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 8,000

FREMONT ST

Good

Over: SAN MATEO CREEK

2ND AVE & FREMONT ST, San Mateo, CA

Built 1920 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 2,890

SIERRA DRIVE

Good

Over: SAN MATEO CREEK

EL CERRITO AVE, San Mateo, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,000

GLENWOOD DR

Good

Over: BEAN CREEK

2.3 MI N SCOTTS VLY DR, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1915 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 500

WARDELL RD

Good

Over: CALABAZAS CREEK

NEAR CARNIEL AVE, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1926 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 959

JAMIESON RD

Good

Over: CANADA DE LOS OSO

0.1 MI E CANADA RD, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1947 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 50

STEVENS CYN RD

Good

Over: STEVENS CREEK

0.5 MI SW/O MT EDEN RD, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1926 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 810

TILTON AVE

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

0.1 MI E HALE AVE, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1927 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 2,100

NOBEL AVE

Good

Over: PENITENCIA CREEK

PENITENCIA CREEK RD, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1915 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,500

WARD AVENUE

Good

Over: SALADO CREEK

1.0 MI N/O SPERRY AVE, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1928 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 7,550

PLAINSBURG ROAD

Good

Over: DUCK SLOUGH

0.5 MI N MARIPOSA WAY, Merced, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,511

MISSION AVENUE

Good

Over: DIBBLEE LATERAL

0.8 MI E PLAINSBURG ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1930 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 338

STATE ROUTE 41 NB

Good

Over: CALIF GOLDEN ST G BROAD

06-FRE-041-R22.11-FRE, Fresno, CA

Built 1966 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 38,000

STATE ROUTE 269

Good

Over: INTERSTATE 5

06-FRE-269-0.40, Fresno, CA

Built 1967 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 4,650

E JEFFERSON AVE

Good

Over: WAHTOKE CREEK

0.31 MI W BUTTONWILLOW AV, Fresno, CA

Built 1925 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 350

W GALE AVE

Good

Over: LOS GATOS CREEK

0.3 MI W OF MONTEREY AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1948 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 300

PINE FLAT ROAD

Good

Over: HUGHES CREEK

0.1 MI E TRIMMER SPRG RD, Fresno, CA

Built 1948 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,000

CARMEL VALLEY RD

Good

Over: TULARCITOS CREEK

24.5 MI NW ARROYO SECO RD, Monterey, CA

Built 1950 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 4,600

PRATT ST (RD 96)

Good

Over: TULE RIVER

1.8 MI S/O AVE 184, Tulare, CA

Built 1945 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 540

ROAD 144

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

1.25 MI N OF AVE 364, Tulare, CA

Built 1945 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 100

AVE 432

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

0.25 MI E OF SR 63, Tulare, CA

Built 1937 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 625

AVE 428

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

0.25 MI E OF SR 63, Tulare, CA

Built 1939 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 375

STATE ROUTE 192

Good

Over: SYCAMORE CANYON CREEK

05-SB-192-5.98-SB, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1921 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 3,100

WHEELER CYN RD

Good

Over: TODD BARRANCA

2.55 MI N OF FOOTHILL RD, Ventura, CA

Built 1937 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 300

CIVIC CENTER DR

Good

Over: ARTESIA-NORWALK STORM DN

0.1MI W/O NORWALK BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1956 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 2,525

SHINN RD

Good

Over: SAN ANTONIO CRK

0.2MI NE/O MNT BALDY RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1931 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 1,475

CHINO AVE

Good

Over: SAN ANTONIO CHANNEL

0.2 MI EAST OF ROUTE 71, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1960 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 18,020

SANTA ANA AVENUE

Good

Over: SANTA ANA DELHI CHANNEL

0.1 MI S/O BRISTOL STREET, Orange, CA

Built 1960 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 11,532

NATIONAL AVE

Good

Over: S BRANCH CHOLLAS CREEK

275 FT E/O 41ST ST, San Diego, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 12,500

MARKET ST

Good

Over: CHOLLAS CREEK

0.1 MI W/O SR15, San Diego, CA

Built 1940 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 21,000

ARAZ ROAD (CR S24)

Good

Over: ARAZ WASH

0.76 MI N/O I-8 EXIT 166, Imperial, CA

Built 1931 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 510

WALKER CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: WALKER CREEK

HORSE, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1975 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 50

AVE OF THE STARS

Good

Over: CENTURY CITY MALL

0.1 MI NW OLYMPIC BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1966 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 23,674

AGER RD

Good

Over: KLAMATH RIVER CORP RR

S OF COPCO RD, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1976 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 617

LAKE BENBOW DR

Good

Over: E BR SOUTH FORK EEL RIV

0.5 MI N SR 101, Humboldt, CA

Built 1932 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 627

NELSON CREEK RD

Good

Over: NELSON CREEK

0.7 MI E BIG BEND RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 100

EASTSIDE RD

Good

Over: OREGON GULCH

0.75 MI S RADIO LANE, Shasta, CA

Built 1945 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,728

RED BANK ROAD

Good

Over: RED BANK CREEK

2.6 MI W OF BALIS RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1963 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 440

FOOTHILL ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE ANTELOPE CREEK

2.75 MI NORTH OF A ST, Tehama, CA

Built 1937 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 155

ROAD TT

Good

Over: DRAIN A

0.1 MI S ROAD 41, Glenn, CA

Built 1940 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 62

Showing 13,051-13,100 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.