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

SR 137 WB (TULARE)

Poor

Over: ST RTE 99 (@PM 29.57)

06-TUL-137-16.63-TUL, Tulare, CA

Built 1952 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 10,250

MADERA ROAD

Poor

Over: UP RR AMTRAK METROLINK

0.3 MI S OF STATE RTE 118, Ventura, CA

Built 1981 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 33,000

EL SEGUNDO BLVD

Poor

Over: ACTA

25FT E/O ALAMEDA ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 2000 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 11,268

PEDRICK ROAD

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 80 & RAMPS

04-SOL-080-39.74-DXN, Solano, CA

Built 1965 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,520

KASSON ROAD

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE ROUTE 5

10-SJ-005-11.06, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1971 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,980

ALMADEN NB-LINCOLN

Poor

Over: ALMADEN EXPWY SB

AT ALMADEN EXPWY, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1961 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,000

INTERSTATE 40

Poor

Over: BLOSSOM WASH

08-SBD-040-R12.00, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1968 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 19,500

N5-N57 CONNECTOR

Poor

Over: W22-N5 CONNECTOR

12-ORA-005-34.40-ORA, Orange, CA

Built 1976 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 62,255

CREEKSIDE DR

Poor

Over: SAN RAMON CREEK

200 FT E OF S MAIN ST, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1959 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 5,800

STATE ROUTE 134

Poor

Over: PACIFIC AVE

07-LA-134-R6.57-GNDL, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 240,000

SEVENTH AVE

Poor

Over: SAN JOSE CRK CHAN

0.4MI N/O SR-60 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 26,484

PARRIOT PL

Poor

Over: SAN JOSE CRK

100FT W/O HACIENDA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1964 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 2,244

MERRILL-MILL ST

Poor

Over: UP RR

2.4 MI W RTE I-215, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1967 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 11,141

RIALTO AVE

Poor

Over: TWIN WARM CREEK

0.25 MI E WATERMAN AVE, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1960 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 5,300

SAN GABRIEL RIV PK

Poor

Over: SAN GABRIEL RIV PKWAY

0.6MI N/O BEVERLY BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1954 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 11,088

124TH ST

Poor

Over: ACTA

50FT E/O ALAMEDA ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 2000 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 2,336

STATE HIGHWAY 138

Poor

Over: WEST FORK MOJAVE RIVER

08-SBD-138-R26.48, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1968 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,550

KERSHAW RD

Poor

Over: ALAMO RIVER

1.6 MI N/O RUTHERFORD RD, Imperial, CA

Built 1970 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 800

INTERSTATE 5 NB

Poor

Over: MOSHER SLOUGH

10-SJ-005-33.49, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1975 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 48,000

DON AVE

Poor

Over: MOSHER SLOUGH

0.1 MI S WAUDMAN AVE, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1976 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 10,641

SB US HIGHWAY 101

Poor

Over: UP AMTRAK & PRIVATE RD

04-SCL-101-R0.77, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1970 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 26,000

R144

Poor

Over: DEER CREEK

0.1 MI S OF A72, Tulare, CA

Built 1971 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 1,000

RANDSBURG CUTOFF

Poor

Over: LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT

1.3 MI E OF SR 58, Kern, CA

Built 1966 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,260

US HIGHWAY 101 NB

Poor

Over: SAN JOSE CREEK

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

Built 1961 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 60,500

US HIGHWAY 101 SB

Poor

Over: UP RR AMTRAK & LEMON

07-VEN-101-27.25-VEN, Ventura, CA

Built 1961 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 64,500

GARFIELD AVE

Poor

Over: UPRR

50FT S/O W MISSION RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1979 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 34,511

GLASSELL STREET

Poor

Over: SANTIAGO CREEK CHANNEL

0.1 MI. N/O ROUTE 22 FWY, Orange, CA

Built 1939 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 31,600

LA GONDA WAY

Poor

Over: SAN RAMON CREEK

AT DANVILLE BLVD, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1950 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,800

INTERSTATE 710

Poor

Over: LOS ANGELES RIVER

07-LA-710-17.34-SGT, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1955 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 220,000

VALLEY BLVD

Poor

Over: SP/UP RR

0.5MI E/O HACIENDA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1957 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 38,160

WIRE MOUNTAIN RD

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 5

11-SD-005-R54.79-OCN, San Diego, CA

Built 1967 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 17,900

MILPITAS ROAD

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE SAN ANTONIO RIV

W BEAR CANYON SEC 2/5, Monterey, CA

Built 2006 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 10

STOCKDALE HIGHWAY

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 5

06-KER-005-47.55, Kern, CA

Built 1969 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 5,000

25TH ST

Poor

Over: ACTA

0.2MI E/O ALAMEDA ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 2001 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 7,419

KNEELAND RD

Poor

Over: NORTH FORK YAGER CREEK

14.3 MI N OF BRIDGEVILLE, Humboldt, CA

Built 1964 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 10

GREEN VALLEY RD

Poor

Over: ATASCADERO CREEK

0.6 MI W OF SR 116, Sonoma, CA

Built 1967 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 2,500

COUNTY ROAD 6

Poor

Over: INTERSTATE 5

03-YOL-005-R25.57, Yolo, CA

Built 1968 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 3,000

BRADSHAW ROAD

Poor

Over: MORRISON CREEK

0.3 MI S STATE RTE 16, Sacramento, CA

Built 2003 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 13,540

GOSFORD RD SB

Poor

Over: ARVIN-EDISON CANAL

0.3 MI S TRUXTUN AVE, Kern, CA

Built 1984 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 17,700

ALAMEDA ST

Poor

Over: COMPTON CRK

0.1MI S/O ARTESIA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1937 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 10,710

ROSECRANS AVE

Poor

Over: ALAMEDA ST

0.1MI W/O SANTA FE AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1992 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 37,842

ROUTE 580

Poor

Over: PIEDMONT BROADWAY RICH

04-ALA-580-44.51-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1961 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 201,000

GREENVILLE RD

Poor

Over: ARROYO SECO

0.2 MI N TESLA RD, Alameda, CA

Built 1962 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 4,300

DOWNEY RD

Poor

Over: LOS ANGELES RIV

0.8MI E/O SOTO ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1931 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 25,265

BIG CANYON RD

Poor

Over: BIG CANYON CREEK

10 MI N OF SR 175, Lake, CA

Built 1956 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 208

INTERSTATE 80 WB

Poor

Over: EAST CISCO ROAD

03-PLA-080-R64.21L, Placer, CA

Built 1964 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 27,000

STATE ROUTE 24

Poor

Over: BROWN AVENUE

04-CC-024-R6.84-LFYT, Contra Costa, CA

Built 1957 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 79,500

SB STATE RTE 280

Poor

Over: SERRAMONTE BOULEVARD

04-SM-280-R24.63-DLC, San Mateo, CA

Built 1967 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 89,000

NB US HIGHWAY 101

Poor

Over: COYOTE CREEK

04-SCL-101-29.83, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1947 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 64,000

INTERSTATE 5 NB

Poor

Over: NIELS HANSON RD

10-STA-005-14.94, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1967 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 18,000

Showing 25,651-25,700 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.