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

CH-1

Good

Over: TRIB BEAVER CREEK

4.25 MI N DOLAN LAKE, Hamilton, IL

Built 1994 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 175

ILL ROUTE 82

Good

Over: STREAM

1.7 MI N JCT ILL 81, Henry, IL

Built 2009 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,200

US 51

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

SCL OF DOWELL, Jackson, IL

Built 2017 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 6,000

FAS 1919

Good

Over: DRURY CREEK

NE CORN.SEC 9-10-1, Jackson, IL

Built 1977 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,300

TR 15 EAGLE PT BAY

Good

Over: INTERSTATE 24

0.5 MI E OF ILL. 37, Johnson, IL

Built 1972 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,150

IL 38

Good

Over: RR - UP

0.1 M E OF KAUTZ RD, Kane, IL

Built 2014 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 30,500

IL 31

Good

Over: STERNS RD

3.1 M S OF US 20, Kane, IL

Built 2007 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 6,250

FRENCH ROAD

Good

Over: BURLINGTON CREEK

0.9 MI S ILL 72, Kane, IL

Built 2015 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,800

ILL 17

Good

Over: BREWSTER RUN

1.27 MI W OF ILL 47, Livingston, IL

Built 1973 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 3,350

ILL 23

Good

Over: STREAM

1.60 MI N OF I-55, Livingston, IL

Built 1977 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 2,900

TR 41D / 2800N

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

4.2 mi SE Blackstone, Livingston, IL

Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 75

EDGEWOOD ROAD

Good

Over: RAT CREEK

0.2 W IL 31, McHenry, IL

Built 1954 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 4,750

I-74 EB

Good

Over: LITTLE KICKAPOO CR

1.1 MI E OF US 51, McLean, IL

Built 1968 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 9,500

I-74 WB

Good

Over: LITTLE KICKAPOO CR

1.1 MI E OF US 51, McLean, IL

Built 1968 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 9,500

ILL 9

Good

Over: MACKINAW CREEK

16.28 MI E BUSN 55, McLean, IL

Built 2017 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 2,100

TR 4

Good

Over: BRANCH SUGAR

5.6 MI NW MCLEAN, McLean, IL

Built 2018 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 75

CH 18(SCHOOL RD)

Good

Over: I-72

1.5 MI W OF CO LINE, Macon, IL

Built 1975 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 100

IL 255 NB (FAP310N

Good

Over: COMM DR & CTY DITCH

1.25 M N OF I-270, Madison, IL

Built 1994 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 36,500

IL 255 SB (FAP310S

Good

Over: COMM DR & CTY DITCH

1.25 M N OF I-270, Madison, IL

Built 1994 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 36,500

TR 236 Pin Oak Roa

Good

Over: Silver Creek

4 Mi NW Marine, Madison, IL

Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 50

IL 267

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

.6M S I72/US36 INT, Morgan, IL

Built 2006 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 4,100

IL 10 (FAP 721)

Good

Over: I-72

NE OF WHITE HEATH, Piatt, IL

Built 1969 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 3,100

ILL 145

Good

Over: ILL 146

JCT ILL 145 ILL 146, Pope, IL

Built 2013 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,150

FAU 9181 SUMMIT AV

Good

Over: HARDING DITCH

0.7 M E JCT ILL 111, St. Clair, IL

Built 1957 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,900

W CLAY RD

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK BRANCH

0.60 MI W SO KENT RD, Stephenson, IL

Built 1977 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 25

NEW US 51

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

2 MI NW OF FAS 2936, Union, IL

Built 1998 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 2,900

IL 1 US 150 (FAP 3

Good

Over: LITTLE VERMILION RIV

.3 MI S GEORGETOWN, Vermilion, IL

Built 2006 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 4,000

FAS 496(CH 14)

Good

Over: N FORK VERMILION RIV

.2 MI W OF ROSSVILLE, Vermilion, IL

Built 1996 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 750

FAP 776 (IL 242)

Good

Over: FISH SLOUGH

3.5 MI S WAYNE CITY, Wayne, IL

Built 2015 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,350

FAP-332 (ILL-1)

Good

Over: FLANDERS CREEK

3 MI S CARMI, White, IL

Built 2014 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 3,700

1000 N

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

3.5 MI N OF EMMA, White, IL

Built 2018 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 25

FREEPORT RD

Good

Over: PENROSE CREEK

.06MI S.PENROSE RD, Whiteside, IL

Built 1999 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,800

US 6

Good

Over: MARLEY CREEK

0.3 M W OF COOK CO., Will, IL

Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 14,200

MERIDIAN RD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

0.25 M S SIMPSON RD, Winnebago, IL

Built 1982 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,000

CH 7

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

3.2 MI W MARCELLINE, Adams, IL

Built 1969 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 450

IL 78

Good

Over: STREAM

N. EDGE OF MT CARROL, Carroll, IL

Built 1992 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 1,150

CURTIS RD

Good

Over: I-57

CURTIS RD/I-57, Champaign, IL

Built 2007 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 8,050

SHATTUC RD/FAS 178

Good

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

1.5MI N IL 161, Clinton, IL

Built 1988 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 2,250

IL 171 WB (ARCHER)

Good

Over: US 45 SB RMP 2 I294

0.3 M E US 45, Cook, IL

Built 2021 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 4,600

31ST ST

Good

Over: KILBOURN AVE

0.5 M E IL 50, Cook, IL

Built 1957 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 9,350

5TH AVE

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.6 M S IL 64, Cook, IL

Built 2012 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 11,800

US 6 (159TH) IL50

Good

Over: MIDLOTHIAN CR

.03 M W OF IL 50, Cook, IL

Built 2018 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 54,800

I-294 SB

Good

Over: MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE

1.7 M SE 127ST P3, Cook, IL

Built 1958 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 66,750

I-294 NB

Good

Over: MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE

1.7 M SE ILL 50 P3, Cook, IL

Built 1958 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 66,750

TR 4

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

2.5 MI NW ALTAMONT, Effingham, IL

Built 2009 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 50

ILL RT 78

Good

Over: PLUM RIVER

.15MI N GROEZINER RD, Jo Daviess, IL

Built 2022 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 700

IL 176

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

0.8M W OF IL-59 US12, Lake, IL

Built 2012 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 18,400

US 41

Good

Over: IL 132 (GRAND AVE)

US 41 & ILL 132 INT., Lake, IL

Built 2009 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 30,500

ARLNTON HTS RD NB

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.4 M N OF COOK CO, Lake, IL

Built 1969 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 12,350

CO RD 13

Good

Over: LITTLE VERMILION RV

E 5TH N 3675, LaSalle, IL

Built 1938 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 425

Showing 22,751-22,800 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.