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

HEGENBERGER RD

Poor

Over: SAN LEANDRO CREEK

SOUTH LEET DR, Alameda, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 46,294

HEGENBERGER RD

Poor

Over: ELMHURST CREEK

0.3 MI N COLISEUM WAY, Alameda, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 46,294

CHANNEL DRIVE

Poor

Over: LAKE

0.1 MI N LAKE BLVD, Alameda, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 390

CUSHING PARKWAY

Poor

Over: LAGUNA CR(FLD CNTRL L E)

0.14 MI W OF FREMONT BLVD, Alameda, CA

Built 1956 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 24,500

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Poor

Over: CORDILLERAS CREEK

04-SM-101-7.13-RDWC, San Mateo, CA

Built 1930 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 195,000

CARIBBEAN DR

Poor

Over: SUNNYVALE EAST CHANNEL

0.2 MI E CROSSMAN AVE, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,261

CARIBBEAN DR

Poor

Over: SUNNYVALE EAST CHANNEL

0.2 MI E CROSSMAN AVE, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 7,192

LOCHINVAR AVE

Poor

Over: CALABAZAS CREEK

WEST OF LAWRENCE EXPY, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,000

STATE ROUTE 165

Poor

Over: CCID MAIN CANAL

10-MER-165-7.17, Merced, CA

Built 1923 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,800

16TH STREET

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK OVERFLOW

0.2 MI SE OF G STREET, Merced, CA

Built 1938 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,500

6TH STREET

Poor

Over: MARIPOSA CREEK

AT STROMING ROAD, Mariposa, CA

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,080

SANTA FE BLVD

Poor

Over: BERENDA SLOUGH

0.2 MI N/W OF AVE 27, Madera, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 259

E SHIELDS AVE

Poor

Over: DRY CREEK CANAL

0.1 MI WEST OF MILLBROOK, Fresno, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 27,039

ROAD 100

Poor

Over: TULARE CANAL

0.5 MI NORTH OF AVE 264, Tulare, CA

Built 1952 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 550

SIERRA HWY

Poor

Over: UNNAMED WASH

2.0MI S/O KERN CO LINE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1921 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,838

WILMINGTON AV 223

Poor

Over: DOMINGUEZ CHAN

0.8MI S/O CARSON ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 33,600

DEVORE ROAD

Poor

Over: KIMBARK CREEK

0.5 N/O INTERSTATE 215, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1959 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 7,500

AVENIDA PICO

Poor

Over: SEGUNDA DESHECHA CANADA

200 N/O EL CAMINO REAL, Orange, CA

Built 1971 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 12,000

DELANO DRIVE

Poor

Over: STRAWBERRY CREEK

0.2 MI. N/O TOLL GATE RD., Riverside, CA

Built 1958 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 500

35TH AVENUE

Poor

Over: PALO VERDE LAGOON

1.5 MI. E/O RTE. 78 HWY., Riverside, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 800

FOREST ROAD 62

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

3 MI EAST OF SH 108, Mono, CA

Built 1979 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 20

ROAD

Poor

Over: MID FK APPLEGATE

NO DATA ENTERED, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1963 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 10

LAS POSAS ROAD

Poor

Over: DISTRICT #2 CANAL

NBVC POINT MUGU, Ventura, CA

Built 1948 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 200

STATE ROUTE 128

Poor

Over: PUTAH CREEK

04-SOL-128-0.72, Solano, CA

Built 1954 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,600

INTERSTATE 5 SB

Poor

Over: BEACH LAKE

03-SAC-005-12.92, Sacramento, CA

Built 1975 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 46,500

INTERSTATE 5 NB

Poor

Over: BEACH LAKE

03-SAC-005-12.93, Sacramento, CA

Built 1975 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 46,500

RANCHO RIO AVENUE

Poor

Over: NEWELL CREEK

0.1 MI E NEWELL CREEK RD, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1958 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 500

DAN MCNAMARA ROAD

Poor

Over: DEADMAN CREEK

0.8 MI N SANDY MUSH ROAD, Merced, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 400

SANTA FE BLVD

Poor

Over: ASH SLOUGH

0.36 MI N OF AVE 27, Madera, CA

Built 1956 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 259

SHORE ROAD

Poor

Over: TEQUISQUITA CREEK

0.05 MI E FRAZER LAKE RD, San Benito, CA

Built 1948 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 6,500

STATE ROUTE 1

Poor

Over: SANTA MARIA RIVER

05-SLO-001-0.01, San Luis Obispo, CA

Built 1955 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 5,000

WALNUT AVE

Poor

Over: SANTA MARGARITA CREEK

BTWN PINE AV & CHSTNUT AV, San Luis Obispo, CA

Built 1940 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 271

WILSON ROAD

Poor

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

06-KER-099-22.11-BKD, Kern, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 40,000

INTERSTATE 40

Poor

Over: NEWTON WASH

08-SBD-040-R103.39, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1970 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 7,500

INTERSTATE 40 EB

Poor

Over: NEWTON WASH

08-SBD-040-R103.39, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1970 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 7,500

COAST HIGHWAY

Poor

Over: LOMA ALTA CREEK

0.3MI S/O OCEANSIDE BLVD, San Diego, CA

Built 2003 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 22,100

GAS POINT RD OC

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 5

02-SHA-005-0.91, Shasta, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 3,000

AFTON ROAD

Poor

Over: BUTTE CREEK

AT GLENN CO LINE, Butte, CA

Built 1914 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 122

STATE ROUTE 236

Poor

Over: BOULDER CREEK

05-SCR-236-4.27, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1926 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 1,200

SAN TOMAS EXPWY

Poor

Over: UP RR DELL AVE

AT WINCHESTER BLVD, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1968 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 6,500

INTERSTATE 5 SB

Poor

Over: FINK ROAD

10-STA-005-10.71, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1967 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 18,000

BAKERSFLD-GLEN RD

Poor

Over: GRANITE CANYON CREEK

0.5 MI N/O RND MTN RD, Kern, CA

Built 1948 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 930

CLARK AVE

Poor

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

05-SB-101-82.18, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 15,000

INTERSTATE 5

Poor

Over: DE ANZA OFF-RAMP

11-SD-005-R22.88-SD, San Diego, CA

Built 1954 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 101,500

STATE ROUTE 125

Poor

Over: PANORAMA DRIVE

11-SD-125-13.80-LMSA, San Diego, CA

Built 1957 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 183,000

BOWKER RD

Poor

Over: BRIAR CANAL

25 FT N/O COLE RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1957 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 2,400

SALMON CREEK ROAD

Poor

Over: SALMON CREEK

2.65 MI AVE OF THE GIANTS, Humboldt, CA

Built 1959 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 226

DYSON LANE

Poor

Over: MID FK FEATHER RIV OVRFL

2.16 MI E BCKWTH-CLPIN RD, Plumas, CA

Built 1959 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 45

DYSON LANE

Poor

Over: MID FK FEATHER RIV OVRFL

2.23 MI E BCKWTH-CLPIN RD, Plumas, CA

Built 1959 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 45

DEL MONTE DR

Poor

Over: BNSF RY

0.1 MI N SAN PABLO AVE, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1965 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 3,124

Showing 24,901-24,950 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.