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

MESQUITE ST

Fair

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.1 MI E MAPLE AVE, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1971 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 1,403

SILVERADO CANYN RD

Fair

Over: LADD CANYON

2.2 MI. E/O SANTIAGO ROAD, Orange, CA

Built 1947 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 2,000

LIVE OAK CYN RD

Fair

Over: SAN TIMOTEO CREEK

0.1 MI. E/O SAN TIMOTEO, Riverside, CA

Built 1954 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 4,470

OLIVER STREET

Fair

Over: CHANNEL LINE "F"

0.6 MI N IRIS AVENUE, Riverside, CA

Built 2007 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 4,200

ERSKINE RD

Fair

Over: WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL

0.75 MI N/O WORTHINGTON, Imperial, CA

Built 1950 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 109

Picacho Road

Fair

Over: All American Canal

7m north of Yuma AZ, Imperial, CA

Built 1936 Load: 22.5 t ADT: 50

BREEN MEMORIAL RD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

JEDEDIAH SMITH STATE PARK, Del Norte, CA

Built 1949 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 100

SALMON RIVER ROAD

Fair

Over: SALMON RIVER

3.4 MI W/O SAWYERS BAR RD, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 72

FAY LANE

Fair

Over: SCOTT RIVER

0.5 MI E/O SR 3, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1975 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 136

US HIGHWAY 101 SB

Fair

Over: EUREKA SLOUGH

01-HUM-101-79.78-EUR, Humboldt, CA

Built 1943 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 17,000

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: ST RTE 254-S101 ON RAMP

01-HUM-101-35.70, Humboldt, CA

Built 1958 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 5,400

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Fair

Over: GREENLAW CREEK

01-HUM-101-R45.57, Humboldt, CA

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 6,100

STATE ROUTE 255

Fair

Over: MIDDLE CHANNEL

01-HUM-255-0.67-EUR, Humboldt, CA

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 7,300

PINE CREEK RD

Fair

Over: SOCTISH CREEK

2.9 MI N OF BAIR RD, Humboldt, CA

Built 1950 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 437

B-BAR-K ROAD

Fair

Over: BROWNS CREEK

2.9 MI NW OF SR 3, Trinity, CA

Built 1949 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 20

BIG CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

4.5 MI NORTH OF S.R. 3, Trinity, CA

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 80

BIEBER LOOKOUT RD

Fair

Over: ASH CREEK

2.3 MI N OF S.H. 299, Lassen, CA

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 800

SACRAMENTO AVE

Fair

Over: CORNING CANAL

3/4 MI NE RAWSON RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1964 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 100

STATE ROUTE 162

Fair

Over: RODEO CREEK

01-MEN-162-10.08, Mendocino, CA

Built 1940 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 860

IRR SHERWOOD ROAD

Fair

Over: SHERWOOD CREEK

10.1 MI NE OF US 101, Mendocino, CA

Built 1947 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 139

ROAD B

Fair

Over: SALT HOLLOW CREEK

0.8 MI EAST OF EAST ROAD, Mendocino, CA

Built 1967 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 399

STATE ROUTE 162

Fair

Over: CAMPBELL SLOUGH

03-GLE-162-82.01, Glenn, CA

Built 1916 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,500

DURHAM-PENTZ RD

Fair

Over: HAYES CANYON

0.8 MI E OF S.R. 99, Butte, CA

Built 1970 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 7,146

RICHVALE W RD

Fair

Over: HIGH GRAVITY LATERAL

0.5 MI E WICKMAN RD, Butte, CA

Built 1947 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 274

NELSON RD

Fair

Over: EDGAR SLOUGH OVERFLOW

0.1 MI E OF 7 MI LANE, Butte, CA

Built 1930 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

POST OFFICE SPUR

Fair

Over: GOODYEARS CREEK

0.2 MI N OF SR 49, Sierra, CA

Built 1954 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

COPSEY CREEK WAY

Fair

Over: COPSEY CREEK

0.05 MI W QUARTERHORSE LN, Lake, CA

Built 1965 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 200

STATE ROUTE 20

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 5

03-COL-020-R22.09, Colusa, CA

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 5,800

LURLINE RD

Fair

Over: LURLINE CREEK

1.3 MI E OF DANLEY RD, Colusa, CA

Built 1930 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 23

SODA SPRINGS ROAD

Fair

Over: N FK AMERICAN RIVER

9 MI S OF SODA SPRINGS, Placer, CA

Built 1900 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 125

US HIGHWAY 101 SB

Fair

Over: NWP RR/NCRRA

04-SON-101-33.22, Sonoma, CA

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 22,750

STEELE LANE

Fair

Over: PAULINE CREEK

STEELE LANE, Sonoma, CA

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 6,000

SPRING MOUNTAIN RD

Fair

Over: HILLSIDE

3 MI WEST OF MADRONA AVE, Napa, CA

Built 2009 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 450

GRIZZLY ISLAND RD

Fair

Over: MONTEZUMA SLOUGH

5.5 MI S SR 12, Solano, CA

Built 1958 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 606

LEISURE TOWN RD

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

0.3 MI S OF I-80, Solano, CA

Built 1968 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 14,270

SILVEYVILLE RD

Fair

Over: MC CUNE CREEK

0.40 MI E OSAGE RD, Solano, CA

Built 1959 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 407

STATE ROUTE 99

Fair

Over: STRAWBERRY CREEK

03-SAC-099-16.35-SAC, Sacramento, CA

Built 1924 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 131,000

JIBBOOM STREET

Fair

Over: UP RR YARD

NORTH FROM I ST VIADUCT, Sacramento, CA

Built 1936 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 8,594

UPPER TRUCKEE RD

Fair

Over: UPPER TRUCKEE RIVER

3.7 MI S/O SR 50, El Dorado, CA

Built 1942 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,020

GREENBROOK DR

Fair

Over: SAN RAMON CREEK

0.3 MI E CAMINO RAMON, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1965 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 7,643

INTERSTATE 5

Fair

Over: EIGHTH STREET

10-SJ-005-24.64-STKN, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 41,050

HOGAN DAM RD

Fair

Over: SLATE CREEK

6.3 MI S/O SR 26, Calaveras, CA

Built 1959 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 196

ITALIAN BAR RD

Fair

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

5.2 MI NE BIG HILL RD, Tuolumne, CA

Built 1925 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 55

UPRR E84-MAIN OFF

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 84

04-ALA-084-16.93, Alameda, CA

Built 1941 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 13,500

PALOMA AVENUE

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 1

04-SM-001-R44.21-PFA, San Mateo, CA

Built 1965 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,118

OLIVE AVENUE

Fair

Over: SALADO CREEK

0.4 MI EAST STATE RTE 33, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1921 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 672

CLINTON ROAD

Fair

Over: T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL

50 SOUTH HATCH RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1967 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 167

BONNER ROAD

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.8 MI N BEAR CREEK ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 38

ROBINSON ROAD

Fair

Over: MAIN CANAL

1.8 MI E SNELLING ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1950 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 45

STATE ROUTE 145

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

06-MAD-145-18.41, Madera, CA

Built 1940 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 6,200

Showing 2,201-2,250 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.