State profile · Near median Poor share

Illinois 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 Illinois.

26,928
Public bridges
45.6%
Good condition
9.3%
Poor condition

Illinois holds 26,928 public highway bridges (#2 of 52 by inventory) with a 9.35% Poor share (#12 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 9.3% 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 41 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

26,928

Public highway bridges in Illinois

Good Condition

45.6%

12,289 bridges rated 7-9

-4.4pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

9.3%

2,517 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

1.8pp vs national avg 7.5%

Illinois vs national bridge condition

Illinois - Good condition share 45.6%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Illinois - Poor-condition share 31.2%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Illinois 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: Illinois has 26,928 bridges and a 9.3% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #41 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 (%) IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%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%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%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%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: Illinois has 26,928 bridges and a 9.3% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #41 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.

Illinois 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

26,928 2nd of 54 higher than 52 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 Illinois

The highlighted point is Illinois: 26,928 bridges and 9.35% in Poor condition, rank #41 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Illinois on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Massachusetts: 5,295 bridges · 8.88% Poor
  • Missouri: 24,618 bridges · 8.95% Poor
  • Illinois: 26,928 bridges · 9.35% Poor
  • New York: 17,642 bridges · 9.43% Poor
  • North Dakota: 4,255 bridges · 10.98% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Illinois

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 26,928 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Illinois’s inventory

State agency holds 31.3% of the 26,928 public highway bridges filed under Illinois in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Illinois’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 11.2% of the 26,928 bridges with a recorded original year in Illinois. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Illinois45.6%45%9.3%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Illinois (FHWA NBI)

Illinois 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 Illinois on the same metric.

MA

Massachusetts

8.88% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,295

MO

Missouri

8.95% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,618
Selected

IL

Illinois

9.35% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$26,928

NY

New York

9.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$17,642

ND

North Dakota

10.98% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,255

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Illinois

Six lowest-condition bridges in Illinois, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in Illinois

IL 75

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

1328N HILLCREST RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,800

RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: WINNESHIEK CREEK

4 MI EAST FREEPORT, Stephenson, IL

Built 1951 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 250

MC CONNELL RD

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

3.0 MI SW ORANGEVILL, Stephenson, IL

Built 1952 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 350

PEARL CITY RD.

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

EAST EDGE PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1940 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,650

KENT ROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

3.5 MI SW LENA, Stephenson, IL

Built 1947 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 250

NORTH STUBBE ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF PECATONICA RIV

3.0 MI SE WINSLOW, Stephenson, IL

Built 1965 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

EAST LAMM ROAD

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

3.5 MI SE FREEPORT, Stephenson, IL

Built 1932 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

BECKER SCHOOL ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

4.5 MI SW FREEPORT, Stephenson, IL

Built 1977 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 175

CHRISTIAN HOLLOW R

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

2.5 MI W WINSLOW, Stephenson, IL

Built 1977 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

E BRICK SCHOOL ROA

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

4.0 MI SE ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W BLOCK ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF YELLOW CREEK

.56 MI S PEARL C RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W BUSCH ROAD

Good

Over: EAST PLUM RIVER

4.0 M SW PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

WEST LORAN ROAD

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

1.1 MI E OF ILL 73, Stephenson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

EAST RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

6.5 MI 5 OF DAVIS, Stephenson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

W LONESOME ROAD

Good

Over: E PLUM RIVER

3.5 MI SW PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

WEST NORA ROAD

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

3.5 MI SW OF WINSLOW, Stephenson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 35

S MILL GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

3.0 M SE PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

WEST RADERS ROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

1.6 M W OF ILL 73, Stephenson, IL

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

FIVE CORNERS ROAD

Good

Over: WADDAMS CREEK

W SIDE LAKE LEAQUANA, Stephenson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 350

S SCHUMAN ROAD

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

2.0 MI SE PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

W BLAIR ROAD

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

3.5 MI SW OF WINSLOW, Stephenson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

E PLEASANTVIEW ROA

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

3.0 MI NE ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

E PLEASANT VIEW RO

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

3.0 MI NW ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

W BABBS GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK BRANCH

3.0 MI E PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

W PRAIRIE ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF YELLOW CREEK

2.5 MI SW FREEPORT, Stephenson, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

BROWNS MILL ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

.98 MI SO ILL RTE 20, Stephenson, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

DAVIS ROAD

Good

Over: HAPPY HOLLOW CREEK

6 MI. N. OF DAVIS, Stephenson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 775

NORTH UNITY ROAD

Good

Over: WADDAMS CREEK

3 MI NE OF LENA, Stephenson, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

EAST MAIZE ROAD

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

6 MI S OF DAVIS, Stephenson, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

TR-38 (W Mound Rd)

Good

Over: Br of Yellow Creek

0.9 MI W OF ILL 73, Stephenson, IL

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

SOUTH REES ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF YELLOW CREEK

1.5 MI NE PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W DITZLER ROAD

Good

Over: EAST PLUM RIVER

3 MI WEST PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

E FARM SCHOOL ROAD

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

1.5 MI SE ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W BLOCK ROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

1.6 MI E OF ILL 73, Stephenson, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

N EXCELSIOR ROAD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

2.0 MI SW WINSLOW, Stephenson, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

HERSHEY RD

Good

Over: E PLUM CR BRANCH

0.1 MI E LORAN RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 35

E KNAUP RD

Good

Over: ROCK RUN CREEK

.1 MI W FARWEL BR RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

NO WAYNE ROAD

Good

Over: SPAFFORD CREEK BRANC

0.75 MI N WARREN RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W RICHLAND ROAD

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

2.3 MI W OF ILL 26, Stephenson, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

E BRICK SCHOOL RD

Good

Over: BROWN CREEK

3.5 MI S ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W HERSHEY ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF E PLUM RIVER

4 MI SW PEARL CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W STATE LINE ROAD

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

1 MI E ILL26, Stephenson, IL

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

N SIEDSCHLAG ROAD

Good

Over: ROCK RUN

4 MI N OF ROCK CITY, Stephenson, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

W. GODDARD ROAD

Good

Over: BR OF YELLOW CREEK

1.4 MI W OF ILL 73, Stephenson, IL

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

ST. JAMES RD.(TR 3

Good

Over: BRANCH MUDDY CREEK

3.5 MI W ORANGEVILLE, Stephenson, IL

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

N COCKRELL RD(TR17

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.5 MI W CEDARVILLE, Stephenson, IL

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

N. BOLENDER ROAD

Good

Over: E BR RICHLAND CREEK

2.5 MI N ORANGEVILLE, Stephenson, IL

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

N FAWVER ROAD

Good

Over: WINNESHEIK CREEK

6.0 MI S OF DAKOTA, Stephenson, IL

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

W. STEES ROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

0.1MI E JODAVIESS CO, Stephenson, IL

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

W. STEPHENSON ST R

Good

Over: BR. OF PRESTON CREEK

1 MI. E OF BOLTON RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 650

Showing 19,151-19,200 of 26,928 bridges

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.

What to do with this

Use Illinois's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Illinois 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. Illinois 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.