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

INTERSTATE 80 EB

Fair

Over: DAVIS STREET

04-SOL-080-R26.00-VAC, Solano, CA

Built 1963 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 82,000

INTERSTATE 780 EB

Fair

Over: EAST 5TH STREET

04-SOL-780-1.58-BEN, Solano, CA

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 23,500

INTERSTATE 780 WB

Fair

Over: EAST 5TH STREET

04-SOL-780-1.58-BEN, Solano, CA

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 23,500

HARTLEY RD

Fair

Over: SWEENEY CREEK

0.2 MI S COLE RD, Solano, CA

Built 1957 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 623

ARNO ROAD

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

03-SAC-099-6.01, Sacramento, CA

Built 1958 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 840

ELK GROVE-FLORIN R

Fair

Over: LAGUNA CREEK

0.9 MI N OF ELK GROVE BL, Sacramento, CA

Built 1947 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 19,800

TRIBUTARY CROSSING

Fair

Over: FOLSOM SOUTH CANAL

100 N/O TRIBUTARY PT DR, Sacramento, CA

Built 1995 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 4,812

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Fair

Over: LONE TREE SLOUGH

10-SJ-099-11.80, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1955 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 85,000

MOUNTAIN HOUSE RD

Fair

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.1 MI S SCHULTE RD, San Joaquin, CA

Built 1967 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 4,403

E&W80-E580 CONNCTR

Fair

Over: UP RR BNSF RY AMTRAK ETC

04-ALA-580-46.50L-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1955 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 57,200

HARRISON&OAKLAND-N

Fair

Over: HARRISON STREET

04-ALA-580-44.33-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1961 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 13,100

STATE ROUTE 24 WB

Fair

Over: 40TH STREET

04-ALA-024-R2.20-OAK, Alameda, CA

Built 1970 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 75,500

I-280 SOUTHBOUND

Fair

Over: ALPINE RD & LOS TRANCOS

04-SM-280-R0.01, San Mateo, CA

Built 1969 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 46,500

THIRD AVENUE

Fair

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

04-SM-101-13.46-SM, San Mateo, CA

Built 1953 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 4,590

HOLLY STREET

Fair

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

04-SM-101-8.40, San Mateo, CA

Built 1954 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 201,000

STATE ROUTE 84

Fair

Over: SR 82 - EL CAMINO REAL

04-SM-084-24.68-RDWC, San Mateo, CA

Built 1965 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 43,000

WB STATE ROUTE 92

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 82

04-SM-092-R11.19-SM, San Mateo, CA

Built 1963 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 36,000

WURR ROAD

Fair

Over: PESCADERO CREEK

0.1 MI SOUTH PESCADERO, San Mateo, CA

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 80

CAROL DR

Fair

Over: LOMPICO CREEK

EAST OF LOMPICO RD, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1940 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 2,000

HELLER DRIVE

Fair

Over: ABANDONED FIRESERVICE RD

UNIVERSITY CA SANTA CRUZ, Santa Cruz, CA

Built 1969 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,200

SAN ANTONIO ROAD

Fair

Over: U.S. HIGHWAY 101

04-SCL-101-50.32-PA, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1960 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 45,851

DEWITT ROAD

Fair

Over: M.I.D. LATERAL #3

0.1 MI N PARKER RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1952 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 350

TWENTY-SIX MILE RD

Fair

Over: S SAN JOAQUIN MAIN CANAL

0.5 MI N DODDS RD, Stanislaus, CA

Built 1929 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 2,415

COTTONWOOD RD

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-005-28.23, Merced, CA

Built 1967 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 25

ROAD 16

Fair

Over: BERENDA SLOUGH

0.6 MI N OF AVE 23, Madera, CA

Built 1974 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,560

RD 39 1/2

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK LITTLE DRY CR

2.9 MI N AVE 12, Madera, CA

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 100

STATE ROUTE 33

Fair

Over: CCID MAIN CANAL

06-FRE-033-69.10, Fresno, CA

Built 1939 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 10,300

TRIMMER SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: FOWLER SWITCH CANAL

JUST SOUTH OF BELMONT AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1924 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 400

E ADAMS AVE

Fair

Over: TRAVERS CREEK

0.2 MI E ALTA AVE, Fresno, CA

Built 1939 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,000

RD 114

Fair

Over: ALTA CANAL

AT AVE 432, Tulare, CA

Built 1934 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 100

R 182

Fair

Over: JOHNSON SLOUGH

0.3 MI N OF SH 198, Tulare, CA

Built 1956 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 400

PALM AVENUE

Fair

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

06-KER-099-24.11-BKD, Kern, CA

Built 1963 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 6,000

GARDNER FIELD ROAD

Fair

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

0.5 MI EAST OF DUVALL ST, Kern, CA

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,072

CORCORAN RD

Fair

Over: POSO CREEK CHANNEL

7.4 MI N/O SR 46, Kern, CA

Built 1966 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 590

CADET ROAD

Fair

Over: CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

1.5 MI W GARDNER FIELD RD, Kern, CA

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 776

STATE ROUTE 217

Fair

Over: HOLLISTER AVE

05-SB-217-2.23-SB, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1963 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 12,500

BETTERAVIA RD

Fair

Over: BRADLEY CANYON CHANNEL

1 MI E PHILBRIC RD, Santa Barbara, CA

Built 1960 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 4,021

N101-N&S110 CONN

Fair

Over: FIGUEROA STREET

07-LA-101-1.45-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1949 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 37,301

INTERSTATE 5

Fair

Over: METROLINK&UP RR TUNNEL#5

07-LA-005S-C45.75, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1955 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 203,359

INTERSTATE 405

Fair

Over: NORMANDIE AVE & RR

07-LA-405-13.83-LA, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 269,000

INTERSTATE 405

Fair

Over: CLARK AVE

07-LA-405-2.76-LBCH, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1963 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 255,000

ROUTE 710 SB

Fair

Over: ROUTE 10 & CONNECTORS

07-LA-710-26.47-MONP, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1960 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 127,000

OLEANDER AVE

Fair

Over: COMPTON CRK

0.3MI S/O ALONDRA BLVD, Los Angeles, CA

Built 1938 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 11,330

INTERSTATE 15 NB

Fair

Over: CAJON CREEK / CAJON BLVD

08-SBD-015-16.07, San Bernardino, CA

Built 1969 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 63,500

RAGSDALE ROAD

Fair

Over: ROCKLEDGE DITCH

1.9 MI E/O EAGLE MTN ROAD, Riverside, CA

Built 1932 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 200

PALM CANYON BLVD

Fair

Over: DEEP CANYON WASH

0.3 MI W OF WASHINGTON ST, Riverside, CA

Built 1970 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 41,433

INTERSTATE 5

Fair

Over: LOMA ALTA CREEK

11-SD-005-R52.18-OCN, San Diego, CA

Built 1953 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 203,000

E&W54-N805 CONNECT

Fair

Over: EUCLID AVENUE

11-SD-054-1.83, San Diego, CA

Built 1974 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 62,000

STATE ROUTE 86 NB

Fair

Over: AMBIG DITCH

11-IMP-086-64.75, Imperial, CA

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 7,200

STATE ROUTE 86 NB

Fair

Over: SURPRISE DITCH

11-IMP-086-54.00, Imperial, CA

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 7,550

Showing 3,601-3,650 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.