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

INTERSTATE 880

Fair

Over: WHIPPLE ROAD

04-ALA-880-13.67-HAY, Alameda, CA

Built 1956 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 230,000

EDGEWATER DRIVE NB

Fair

Over: ELMHURST CANAL

0.2 MI N/W ROLAND WAY, Alameda, CA

Built 1968 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 2,173

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: ADOBE CREEK

04-SCL-101-50.66-PA, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1960 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 187,000

HAMILTON ROAD

Fair

Over: DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL

0.55 MI W/O MCCRACKEN, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1946 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 289

DRAPER ROAD

Fair

Over: CCID MAIN CANAL

0.25 MI S ORESTIMBA RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1939 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 534

TULLY ROAD

Fair

Over: T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL

80 FT SOUTH HATCH RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1924 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 2,100

COVERT ROAD

Fair

Over: M.I.D. LATERAL #6

0.4 MI W/O TOOMES RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1925 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,345

SONORA ROAD

Fair

Over: MARTELLS CREEK

1.1 MI E FRANKENHEIMER RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1920 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 182

SANDY MUSH ROAD

Fair

Over: DEADMAN CREEK

1.8 MI E DAN MC NAMARA RD, Merced, CA

Built 1965 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 500

COTTON GIN ROAD

Fair

Over: DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL

0.8 MI E OF SR 165, Merced, CA

Built 1950 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 223

ALMOND DRIVE

Fair

Over: DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL

1.5 MI W ORTIGALITA ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1950 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 315

AVENUE 21 1/2

Fair

Over: BERENDA SLOUGH

0.3 MI W OF ROAD 15, Madera, CA

Built 1956 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 120

W NEES AVE

Fair

Over: DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL

1.33 MI W OF WASHOE AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1950 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 3,100

N JERROLD AVE

Fair

Over: DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL

1.3 MI NORTH OF NEES AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1950 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 125

ROAD 200

Fair

Over: WOOD CENTRAL DITCH

0.23 MI N OF AVE 152, Tulare, CA

Built 1943 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 100

STATE ROUTE 39

Fair

Over: PEJSA CANYON

07-LA-039-22.17, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1933 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,850

STATE ROUTE 71

Fair

Over: UP RR AMTRAK METROLINK

07-LA-071-1.20-POM, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1939 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 69,500

INTERSTATE 10

Fair

Over: BUDLONG AVENUE

07-LA-010-R13.54-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1962 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 287,000

GRAND AVE

Fair

Over: SAN ANTONIO WASH

0.2MI W/O E END AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1962 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 4,267

MAIN STREET

Fair

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.7 MI E OF RTE 15, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1970 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 27,667

PARK ENTRANCE ROAD

Fair

Over: SAWPIT CREEK

1.1 MI E OF PARK GATE, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1973 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 500

STATE ROUTE 55

Fair

Over: NEWPORT BEACH CHANNEL

12-ORA-055-0.18-NPTB, Orange, CA

Built 1936 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 47,000

WALKER STREET

Fair

Over: CARBON CREEK CHANNEL

0.1 MI. S/O BALL ROAD, Orange, CA

Built 1958 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 16,820

ORCHARD STREET

Fair

Over: LITTLE SAN GORGONIO CH

0.2 MI. E/O BEAUMONT AVE., Riverside, CA

Built 1951 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,077

INDIO BLVD WB

Fair

Over: WHITEWATER RIVER

0.8 MI. NW/O MONROE ST, Riverside, CA

Built 1956 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 9,750

GENTRY RD

Fair

Over: VAIL CANAL

1.5 MI S/O EDDINS RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1936 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,360

FITES RD

Fair

Over: WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL

20 FT S/O CARTER RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1940 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 80

ROAD 23N37

Fair

Over: JAMISON CREEK

JAMISON CREEK, Plumas, CA

Built 1952 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 50

WINDING ROAD

Fair

Over: N FORK TUOLUMNE RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1981 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 50

WEST TOWN ENTRANCE

Fair

Over: MEDIA CREEK

Highway 101 to Exit 36 (K, San Benito, CA

Built 1928 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 10

CEDAR GROVE ROAD (

Fair

Over: GRANITE CREEK

KINGS CANYON HWY MP 33.1, Fresno, CA

Built 1953 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 278

BIG SPRINGS ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE SHASTA RIVER

.5 MI S LWR LTL SHASTA RD, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1959 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 45

Service Road

Fair

Over: Picacho Wash Overchute

7 mi north of Yuma AZ, Imperial, CA

Built 1970 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 50

ALDERPOINT RD

Fair

Over: CONLEY CREEK

1 MI S OF BLOCKSBURG, Humboldt, CA

Built 1990 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 114

BRICELAND-THORNE

Fair

Over: MCKEE CREEK

0.1 MI S/O SHELTER COVE, Humboldt, CA

Built 1952 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 420

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Fair

Over: DONEY CREEK

0.8 MI SW ANTLR UC ON I-5, Shasta, CA

Built 1927 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 2,178

MAIN STREET

Fair

Over: CASTLE CREEK

0.2 MI S CASTLE CR RD I-5, Shasta, CA

Built 1918 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 452

STATE ROUTE 36

Fair

Over: EAST SAND SLOUGH

02-TEH-036-41.95-RBL, Tehama, CA

Built 1947 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 19,500

OSBORN RD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK BRANCH

2.7 MI N PASKENTA RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1942 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 40

ROAD 51

Fair

Over: GLENN-COLUSA CANAL

WEST OF NEWMARK AVE, Glenn, CA

Built 1948 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 140

WISE RD

Fair

Over: COON CREEK

1.0 MI E BREWER RD, Placer, CA

Built 1955 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 95

PONDEROSA RD

Fair

Over: "S" CREEK (JEFFERSON CR)

5 MI S/E OF WEIMAR, Placer, CA

Built 1935 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 50

US HIGHWAY 101 SB

Fair

Over: HEALDSBURG AVENUE

04-SON-101-33.48, Sonoma, CA

Built 1962 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 22,750

WESTSIDE ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.2 MI N FOREMAN LANE, Sonoma, CA

Built 1961 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 3,200

WARM SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: SONOMA CREEK

2.8 MI S OF SR 12, Sonoma, CA

Built 1931 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 800

SPRINGS ROAD

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 80 & RAMPS

04-SOL-080-3.23-VAL, Solano, CA

Built 1958 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 16,541

ALAMO DR

Fair

Over: ALAMO CREEK

EAST OF DAVIS STREET, Solano, CA

Built 1970 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 21,120

US 50 (I-305) WB

Fair

Over: SACRAMENTO RIV I-5 CONNS

03-SAC-050-L0.01-SAC, Sacramento, CA

Built 1966 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 115,500

SIMMERHORN ROAD

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

03-SAC-099-1.57-GAL, Sacramento, CA

Built 1958 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 1,400

28TH ST

Fair

Over: GOAT CREEK

0.2 MI N OF U ST, Sacramento, CA

Built 1939 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 3,120

Showing 1,701-1,750 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.