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 98

Good

Over: NEW RIVER

11-IMP-098-29.71, Imperial, CA

Built 1951 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 4,100

STATE ROUTE 111

Good

Over: CATTAIL WASH

11-IMP-111-44.48, Imperial, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 3,600

STATE ROUTE 111

Good

Over: SIGNAL WASH

11-IMP-111-46.97, Imperial, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 3,600

STATE ROUTE 111

Good

Over: BUTTER WASH

11-IMP-111-48.25, Imperial, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 3,600

STATE ROUTE 98

Good

Over: ASH MAIN CANAL

11-IMP-098-38.14, Imperial, CA

Built 1939 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 14,295

STATE ROUTE 98

Good

Over: WORMWOOD CANAL

11-IMP-098-22.07, Imperial, CA

Built 1955 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 1,950

KALIN RD

Good

Over: NEW RIVER

0.5 MI S/O RUEGGER RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1940 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 300

WINDING ROAD

Good

Over: JAWBONE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1990 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RD 29

Good

Over: CHOWCHILLA RIVER

13 MI E OF CHOWCHILLA, Madera, CA

Built 1975 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 71

SATICOY ST

Good

Over: ALISO CREEK

0.44MI W/O RESEDA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1954 Load: 24.2 t ADT: 29,369

STATE ROUTE 96

Good

Over: SANDY BAR CREEK

02-SIS-096-R9.11, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1942 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 330

INTERSTATE 5

Good

Over: YREKA CREEK

02-SIS-005-R46.79-YRE, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1970 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 16,600

STATE ROUTE 299

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

02-MOD-299-37.16, Modoc, CA

Built 1937 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,800

LOLETA DR

Good

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

01-HUM-101-65.95, Humboldt, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 800

ALDERPOINT RD

Good

Over: MCMAHON CREEK

14 MI N/O ALDERPOINT, Humboldt, CA

Built 1958 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 106

STATE ROUTE 36

Good

Over: RATTLESNAKE CREEK

02-TRI-036-19.11, Trinity, CA

Built 1975 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 560

CLARK CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: CLARK CREEK

5.2 MI NW OF SR 89, Shasta, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 200

TWIN VIEW BLVD

Good

Over: BOULDER CREEK

0.2 MI NE OF SR 273, Shasta, CA

Built 1936 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,651

CLEAR CR RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1 MI W CLOVERDALE RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1955 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 884

LAKE BLVD

Good

Over: BUCKEYE CREEK

1 MI N KESWICK DAM RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,670

LAKE BLVD

Good

Over: CHURN CREEK

AT TOYON AVE, Shasta, CA

Built 1970 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,800

LAWRENCE RD

Good

Over: WEST BRANCH CHURN CREEK

JUST SOUTH OF HARTNELL AV, Shasta, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,855

TWIN VIEW BLVD

Good

Over: HIRST BARRANCA

0.2 MI NORTH OF OASIS RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1917 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 761

CANBY RD

Good

Over: WEST BRANCH CHURN CREEK

0.3 MI N/O SR 44, Shasta, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 4,761

EASTSIDE ROAD

Good

Over: A.C.I.D. CANAL

0.7 MI N OF S BONYVIEW RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,728

GAS PT RD

Good

Over: LUDWIG GULCH

3.0 MI WEST OF I-5, Shasta, CA

Built 1940 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,206

S COW CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: PINE TIMBER GULCH

5.8 MI NE OF S.R. 44, Shasta, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 10

FIRST STREET

Good

Over: CROWLEY GULCH

.2 MI W/O SR5, Shasta, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,500

WILDCAT RD

Good

Over: ASH CREEK

0.2 MI E OF ASH CRK RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 200

ASH CR RD

Good

Over: ASH CREEK TRIBUTARY

7.6 MI E PARKVILLE RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1955 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 200

COLLEGE VIEW DR

Good

Over: OLD OREGON DITCH

0.1 MI E/O OLD OREGON T, Shasta, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 250

SWEDE CREEK RD

Good

Over: OAT CREEK

0.7 MI N OLD 44 DRIVE, Shasta, CA

Built 1970 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 850

BEAR MOUNTAIN RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

100 FEET S DRY CREEK RD, Shasta, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 641

U.S. HIGHWAY 395

Good

Over: STANDISH IRRIG. CANAL

02-LAS-395-62.19, Lassen, CA

Built 1936 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,975

STATE ROUTE 299

Good

Over: RAINES CREEK

02-LAS-299-2.45, Lassen, CA

Built 1931 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,500

STATE ROUTE 299

Good

Over: BIEBER CREEK

02-LAS-299-19.83, Lassen, CA

Built 1928 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,050

STATE ROUTE 299

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

02-LAS-299-24.01, Lassen, CA

Built 1929 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,050

INTERSTATE 5

Good

Over: BIGGS CREEK

02-TEH-005-32.36, Tehama, CA

Built 1940 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 36,500

SUNSET HILLS DRIVE

Good

Over: INTERSTATE 5

02-TEH-005-38.72, Tehama, CA

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 300

INTERSTATE 5 SB

Good

Over: GAY CREEK

02-TEH-005-R0.11, Tehama, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 12,300

OLD HWY 99 W

Good

Over: GAY CREEK

0.2 MI N OF GLENN CO LINE, Tehama, CA

Built 1914 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,001

OLD HWY 99 W

Good

Over: HALL CREEK

6.2 MI N GLENN CO RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1914 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,348

OLD HWY 99 W

Good

Over: SCHRAMM CREEK

6.3 MI N GLENN CO LINE, Tehama, CA

Built 1914 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,348

CORNING RD

Good

Over: HOUGHTON CREEK

0.3 MI W FREMN-SCHLHSE RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,640

CORNING ROAD

Good

Over: NORTH FORK JEWETT CREEK

0.3 MI W/O I-5, Tehama, CA

Built 1971 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 5,000

JELLYS FERRY RD

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

5.2 MI E OF I-5, Tehama, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,971

JELLYS FERRY RD

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

7.2 MI E OF I-5, Tehama, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,971

DAY AVENUE

Good

Over: UNNAMED SLOUGH

0.2 MI N OF 68TH AVE, Tehama, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 82

OAT AVE

Good

Over: JACKSON CREEK

0.1 MI S OF CHARD AVE, Tehama, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 500

MARIA ROAD

Good

Over: TEHAMA-COLUSA CANAL

EAST OF WALNUT ROAD, Tehama, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 200

Showing 13,901-13,950 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.