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

PLUMMER ST

Good

Over: WINNETKA CHANNEL

50 E WINNETKA AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1963 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 19,000

HAYVENHURST AVE

Good

Over: GRANADA CHANNEL

0.1 MI S/O LASSEN STREET, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1957 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,000

SUNSET BLVD

Good

Over: SANTA MONICA CYN CHANNEL

0.1 M W MANDEVILLE CANYON, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1966 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 28,000

TEMPLE STREET

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

50 EAST OF MAIN ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,000

CANADA BLVD S

Good

Over: VERDUGO WASH

1.3MI N/O US-101 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1933 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 39,096

PHILLIPS RANCH RD

Good

Over: UNKNOWN WASH

0.3MI N/O SR-60 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 19,900

SCHERZINGER LN

Good

Over: MINT CYN WASH

150FT E/O SIERRA HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,994

RUSTIC GLEN DR

Good

Over: UNKNOWN WASH

0.3MI N/O SR-60 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,040

10TH ST W

Good

Over: AMARGOSA CRK

0.1MI S/O RNCHO VSTA BL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 38,480

BONITA AVE

Good

Over: PUDDINGSTONE CHAN

0.1MI E/O SAN DIMAS CYN R, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,138

SNOW CRK DR

Good

Over: SNOW CYN CHAN

100FT E/O GRAND AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 153

LEMON AVE

Good

Over: DIAMOND BAR CRK

0.1MI S/O CURRIER RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,286

LARO DR

Good

Over: MEDEA CRK

1.0MI N/O US-101 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,040

PALOMARES AVE

Good

Over: PUDDINGSTONE CHAN

0.1MI E/O SANDIMAS CN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,224

JUANITA AVE

Good

Over: PUDDINGSTONE CHAN

0.1MI E/O SAN DIMAS CN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,052

HASKELL CYN RD

Good

Over: BOUQUET CYN CHAN

0.2MI N/O BOUQUET CYN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,097

ROMERO CYN RD

Good

Over: HASLEY CYN WASH

0.1MI N/O HASLEY CYN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,000

MARQUARDT AVE

Good

Over: MILAN CRK

0.3MI N/O ROSECRANS AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,072

SNOW CRK DR

Good

Over: SNOW CRK EF

0.2MI E/O GRAND AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 153

BRIDGEWATER LN

Good

Over: SNOW CRK EF

0.1MI W/O LA PUENTE RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 408

COLUMBIA WAY

Good

Over: AMARGOSA CRK

0.6MI W/O SIERRA HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,670

BRAND BLVD

Good

Over: E CANYON CHANNEL

0.05 MI SW/O FWY 5, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,500

GLADSTONE ST

Good

Over: PUDDINGSTONE CHAN

0.1MI S/O ALLEN AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,174

FOSTER RD

Good

Over: MILAN CRK

0.1MI E/O VALLEY VIEW AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,576

IMPERIAL HWY

Good

Over: MILAN CRK

0.5MI E/O VALLEY VIEW AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 30,066

BURGESS AVE

Good

Over: MILAN CRK

0.8MI S/O IMPERIAL HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,515

IMPERIAL HWY

Good

Over: BOMBARDIER AVE DRN

200FT E/O I-5 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1954 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 56,855

ZENOBIA DR

Good

Over: GORMAN CRK

0.1MI N/O LANCASTER RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 31

SHARP RD

Good

Over: REMINGTON CHAN

0.1MI W/O ROMERO CYN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 394

COLORADO BLVD

Good

Over: ARCADIA WASH

0.2MI W/O BALDWIN AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,004

ARROW HWY

Good

Over: PUDDINGSTONE CHAN

0.2MI E/O SAN DIMAS CN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,800

VALLE DEL ORO

Good

Over: NEWHALL CRK

0.2MI E/O SAN FRNDO RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,489

10TH ST W

Good

Over: AMARGOSA DRN

0.1MI S/O AVE K, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 32,136

AVE J-8

Good

Over: AMARGOSA DRN

0.3MI W/O 20TH ST W, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,464

LANCASTER BLVD

Good

Over: AMARGOSA DRN

0.2MI E/O 30TH ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,690

W AVE I

Good

Over: AMARGOSA DRN

0.1MI E/O 30TH ST W, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,486

LOST HILLS RD

Good

Over: LAS VIRGENES CRK

300FT W/O LAS VIRGNES RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,871

MEADOW CRK LN

Good

Over: LAS VIRGENES CRK

0.1MI E/O LOST HILLS RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,871

CNSHW BL / 120 ST

Good

Over: DOMINGUEZ CHAN

0.5MI S/O IMPERIAL HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 45,251

LAS VIRGENES RD

Good

Over: STOKES CYN CRK

0.3MI S/O MULHOLLAND HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,804

FIRESTONE BLVD

Good

Over: LOS ANGELES RIV

500FT W/O I-710 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1950 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 77,480

STUNT RD

Good

Over: COLD CRK

0.1MI E/O MULHOLLAND HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 867

ELWOOD AVE

Good

Over: BIG DALTON WASH

0.2MI S/O US-66 HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 505

ELIZABETH LAKE

Good

Over: AMARGOSA CRK

4.8MI E/O BOUQUET CN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,300

CLARK AVE

Good

Over: DEL AMO BLVD CHAN

50FT S/O DEL AMO BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 30,568

LONG BCH BLVD

Good

Over: SDBI 130

0.2MI S/O DEL AMO BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,048

WORLD WAY LOOP

Good

Over: SEPULV ONRAMP CENTURY W

LAX SECOND LEVEL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 43,408

WEST WAY

Good

Over: PARKING LOT

LAX SECOND LEVEL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,000

EAST WAY

Good

Over: PARKING LOT

LAX SECOND LEVEL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,000

SKY WAY

Good

Over: SKY WAY

LAX SECOND LEVEL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,144

Showing 19,501-19,550 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.