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

WILLOW STREET

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 710

07-LA-710-7.89-LBCH, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1947 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 35,000

US HIGHWAY 101 OFF

Poor

Over: CAHUENGA BLVD

07-LA-101-8.25-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1954 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 21,501

VISTA RD

Poor

Over: MOJAVE RIVER

0.6 MI W OF NAT TRA HWY, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1968 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 6,650

WESTMINSTER AVE-WB

Poor

Over: LOS ALAMITOS CHANNEL

0.8 MI W/O SEAL BEACH BL., Orange, CA

Built 1964 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 13,000

STATE ROUTE 86 SB

Poor

Over: OTAN DITCH

08-RIV-086-0.99, Riverside, CA

Built 1989 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 15,300

HAMILTON ROAD

Poor

Over: FIRST GULCH

3.1 MILES EAST OF US 101, Del Norte, CA

Built 1950 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 10

INTERSTATE 680

Poor

Over: BLUM ROAD

04-CC-680-21.52, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1962 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 118,000

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Poor

Over: ROUTE 12 - KETTLEMAN LN

10-SJ-099-29.50-LOD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1963 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 29,500

E120-N99 N99-W120

Poor

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-SJ-120-6.86, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1980 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 26,000

ESCALON BELLOTA RD

Poor

Over: MORMON SLOUGH

S/E OF S.H. 26, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1966 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 2,430

ISBEL DR

Poor

Over: BRANCIFORTE CREEK

0.2 MI N OF HWY 1, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1971 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 2,015

LAKE ISABELLA RD

Poor

Over: BOREL CANAL

0.75 MI N OF NUGGET AVE, Kern, CA

Built 1948 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 5,400

ATHERTON ST

Poor

Over: LOS CERRITOS CHAN

0.3MI W/O STUDEBAKER RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1956 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 10,403

CROSSROADS PKWY N

Poor

Over: UPPR

0.3MI E/O WORKMAN ML RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1983 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 459

LOWREY ROAD

Poor

Over: NEVADA CREEK

3.65 MI N/O PASKENTA RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1940 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 50

INTERSTATE 80 WB

Poor

Over: SR 20 UP RR BNSF AMTRAK

03-NEV-080-R59.44, Nevada, CA

Built 1963 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 5,875

U.S. HIGHWAY 101

Poor

Over: WESTSIDE RD

04-SON-101-34.88, Sonoma, CA

Built 1960 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 45,500

EAGLE NEST LANE

Poor

Over: HILLSIDE

0.2 MI N RIVER RD, Sonoma, CA

Built 1930 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 100

INTERSTATE 680 SB

Poor

Over: NVRR CORDELIA RD BRIDGE

04-SOL-680-12.63-FRFD, Solano, CA

Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 31,000

INTERSTATE 680 NB

Poor

Over: NVRR CORDELIA RD BRIDGE

04-SOL-680-12.63-FRFD, Solano, CA

Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 31,000

PERSHING AVE

Poor

Over: CALAVERAS RIVER

JUST N TELEGRAPH AVE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1959 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 29,900

SPERRY AVENUE

Poor

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.1 MI E OF I 5, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1967 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 10,820

STATE ROUTE 140

Poor

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

10-MPA-140-37.83, Mariposa, CA

Built 1926 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,400

SCHOOL RD 427

Poor

Over: OAK CREEK

0.1 MI E RD 418, Madera, CA

Built 1975 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,066

LEWIS CREEK RD

Poor

Over: LEWIS CREEK

2.6 ME E OF RTE 25, Monterey, CA

Built 1947 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 150

US HIGHWAY 101 SB

Poor

Over: SAN JOSE CREEK

05-SB-101-21.62, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1946 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 60,500

DEL AMO BLVD

Poor

Over: ALAMEDA ST

0.5MI W/O SANTA FE AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 2002 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 20,699

LA NOVIA AVENUE

Poor

Over: SAN JUAN CREEK CHANNEL

0.4 MI. S/O ORTEGA HWY, Orange, CA

Built 1971 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 7,000

CAMINO DEL MAR

Poor

Over: SAN DIEGUITO RIVER

0.3MI S/O VIA DE LA VALLE, San Diego, CA

Built 1932 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 14,027

LOMA VISTA DR

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 5

02-SHA-005-R12.92-RDG, Shasta, CA

Built 1965 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 3,000

C STREET

Poor

Over: UP RR BNSF RY AMTRAK 2ND

AT 2ND STREET, Yolo, CA

Built 1958 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 4,620

INTERSTATE 680

Poor

Over: CENTER AVE

04-CC-680-20.38, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1962 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 130,000

UNDINE ROAD

Poor

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

2.1 MI W OF HOWARD RD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1975 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 152

CORRAL HOLLOW RD

Poor

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.9 MI N OF S.H. 580, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1967 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 550

WALNUT AVENUE

Poor

Over: T.I.D. LATERAL #5

JCT AT HARDING AVE, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1920 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 1,738

ROAD 29

Poor

Over: M I D CANAL

0.25 MI S AVE 15, Madera, CA

Built 1977 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 990

HOUGHTON ROAD

Poor

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

06-KER-099-15.43, Kern, CA

Built 1962 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 3,515

26TH ST

Poor

Over: DOWNEY RD

0.5MI E/O SOTO ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 7,797

CERRITOS AVE

Poor

Over: BIG DALTON WASH

0.2MI N/O ARROW HWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1961 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 6,302

STATE ROUTE 96

Poor

Over: THOMPSON CREEK

02-SIS-096-52.48, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1952 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 615

BARKHOUSE CREEK RD

Poor

Over: BARKHOUSE CREEK

0.7 MI S OF WALKER RD, Siskiyou, CA

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 29

GRASSHOPPER LKT RD

Poor

Over: SQUAW CREEK

2 MI S/O MATTOLE RD, Humboldt, CA

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1

SUMMIT CREEK ROAD

Poor

Over: CARR CREEK

0.1 MI S OF S.R. 3, Trinity, CA

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

EMILY RD

Poor

Over: ANDERSON CREEK

EMILY RD 300 FT E OF S ST, Shasta, CA

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 958

INTERSTATE 5

Poor

Over: THOMES CREEK

02-TEH-005-R12.16, Tehama, CA

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 29,500

TEHAMA AVE

Poor

Over: CORNING CANAL

0.5 MI E RAWSON RD, Tehama, CA

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 500

INTERSTATE 80 WB

Poor

Over: SOUTH YUBA RIVER

03-NEV-080-R2.69L, Nevada, CA

Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,400

LIMEKILN ROAD

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

0.55 MI E OF DUGGANS RD, Nevada, CA

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,281

YOU BET ROAD

Poor

Over: GREENHORN CREEK

2.5 MI EAST OF ROUTE 174, Nevada, CA

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,087

BROCKWAY ROAD

Poor

Over: TRUCKEE RIVER

0.1 MI S/O DONNER PASS RD, Nevada, CA

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,170

Showing 25,151-25,200 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.