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

ONTARE ROAD

Fair

Over: SAN ROQUE CREEK

0.45 MI S SR 192, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1954 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,080

CATHEDRAL OAK RD

Fair

Over: MARIA YGNACIO CREEK

0.4 MI E PATTERSON AVE, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 9,272

HOLLISTER AVE

Fair

Over: CARNEROS CREEK

0.05 MI E OF AERO CAMINO, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 14,800

CALLE REAL RD

Fair

Over: LAS VEGAS CREEK

0.2 MI W FAIRVIEW AVE, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 12,786

STATE STREET

Fair

Over: SAN ROQUE CREEK

0.15 W OF ONTARE RD, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 29,107

TORINO DRIVE

Fair

Over: ARROYO BURRO CREEK

SOUTH OF BARCELONA DR, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 430

POR LAMAR DR

Fair

Over: SYCAMORE CREEK

S ENTR TO EL ESCORIAL, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,000

NINOS DR

Fair

Over: SYCAMORE CREEK

N ENTR TO EL ESCORIAL, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,000

ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN

Fair

Over: SYCAMORE CREEK

AT NINOS DR, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,500

COCHRAN STREET

Fair

Over: TAPO CANYON CREEK

0.2 MI W SEQUOIA AVE, Ventura, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 26,000

SANTA ANA BLVD

Fair

Over: LIVE OAK CANYON CREEK

0.7 MI W/O SR 33, Ventura, CA

Built 1957 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,300

GORHAM RD

Fair

Over: MCNELL CREEK

0.1 MI N OF S.R. 150, Ventura, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 600

CAMINO CIELO

Fair

Over: MATILIJA CREEK

0.1 MI W OF S.R. 33, Ventura, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 100

CLARA ST

Fair

Over: J STREET DRAIN

0.5 MI E. OF VENTURA RD., Ventura, CA

Built 1957 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 500

CYPRESS ROAD

Fair

Over: OXNARD INDUSTRIAL DRAIN

0.1 MI N OF HUENEME RD, Ventura, CA

Built 1969 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,000

FITZGERALD RD

Fair

Over: RUNKLE CANYON DRAIN

0.2 MI E SYCAMORE DR, Ventura, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,500

ALSCOT AVENUE

Fair

Over: HUMMINGBIRD CREEK

0.3 MI N LOS ANGELES AVE, Ventura, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,500

NELDA STREET

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

0.3 MI W ALSCOT AVE, Ventura, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,500

KUEHNER DRIVE

Fair

Over: HUMMINGBIRD CREEK

0.2 MI S/O RTE 118, Ventura, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 10,000

SR 164 (ROSEMEAD)

Fair

Over: RIO HONDO

07-LA-164-4.91-EMTE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1937 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 44,100

INTERSTATE 10

Fair

Over: VERMONT AVENUE

07-LA-010-R13.80-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 287,000

OAKWOOD AVE

Fair

Over: ROUTE 210

07-LA-210-R20.30-LCF, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,520

STATE ROUTE 118

Fair

Over: WOODLEY AVE

07-LA-118-R9.04-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1976 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 254,000

ROUTE 2 ANGELS CRE

Fair

Over: ROUTE 210

07-LA-002-24.43, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 12,400

E91-SANTA FE OFFRP

Fair

Over: COMPTON CREEK RR TRACKS

07-LA-091-R10.28-COM, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1974 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,200

CONANT ST

Fair

Over: LOS CERRITOS DRN CH

0.2MI W/O BELLFLOWER BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 5,100

CLARK AVE

Fair

Over: BOUTON CRK

0.1MI S/O ATHERTON ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1959 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 18,550

GAREY AVE

Fair

Over: CHINO CRK

300FT N/O SR-71 FWY, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 21,200

VERMONT AVE

Fair

Over: DOMINGUEZ CHANNEL

1/4 MI S/O ARTESIA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1958 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 38,000

MILLS AVE

Fair

Over: SORENSON DRN

0.3MI E/O TELEGRAPH RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 21,008

FOOTHILL BLVD

Fair

Over: PACOIMA WASH

0.2 MILE SE MACLAY ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1923 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 19,441

FALLBROOK AVE

Fair

Over: DAYTON CREEK

AT SATICOY ST, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 37,110

FALLBROOK AVE

Fair

Over: BELL CREEK

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

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 42,146

FOX ST

Fair

Over: EAST CANYON CHANNEL

BETWN RTE 5 & SHARP AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,176

LAUREL CANYON BLVD

Fair

Over: BRANFORD STREET CHANNEL

WENTWORTH AVENUE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1957 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 21,521

PLUMMER ST

Fair

Over: SANTA SUSANA CREEK

0.3 M W/O SR-27(@FARRALN), Los Angeles, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 19,191

SHERMAN WAY

Fair

Over: DAYTON CREEK

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

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 28,824

VICTORY BLVD

Fair

Over: CALABASAS CREEK

0.4 M W/O SR-27(TOPANGA), Los Angeles, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 32,445

REIS ST S XING

Fair

Over: SORENSEN DRN

0.1MI W/O MILLS AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,010

REIS ST N XING

Fair

Over: SORENSEN DRN

0.1MI W/O PAINTER AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 714

GRAMERCY PL

Fair

Over: DOMINGUEZ CHAN

0.3MI N/O ARTESIA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1959 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 4,646

CLEARLAKE DR

Fair

Over: UNNAMED WASH

0.5MI E/O SAND CYN RD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,010

EDDINGTON DR

Fair

Over: PRIVATE DRN #669

0.4MI N/O DEL AMO BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 3,030

LA SUBIDA DR

Fair

Over: HACIENDA CRK

0.1MI W/O HACIENDA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,005

CEDARTREE RD

Fair

Over: LEMORAN AVE STORM DRN

0.1MI W/O PASSONS BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,499

BROOKPARK RD

Fair

Over: LEMORAN AVE STORM DRN

0.1MI W/O PASSONS BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 408

ROSCOE BLVD

Fair

Over: PACOIMA WASH

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

Built 1957 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 65,311

LASSEN ST

Fair

Over: GRANADA CHANNEL

0.1 MI W. HAVENHURST AVE, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1972 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 16,500

N15-OLD HWY 58-N15

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 15

08-SBD-015-76.80, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,300

ROUTE 40 W BOUND

Fair

Over: MONTARA RD

08-SBD-040-0.79-BSW, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1961 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 19,500

Showing 3,101-3,150 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.