State profile · Above median Poor share

Iowa bridge safety

Condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition data for every public highway bridge in Iowa, based on the FHWA National Bridge Inventory.

20,753
Public bridges
36.5%
Good condition
20.0%
Poor condition

Data updated May 2026

Total Bridges

20,753

Public highway bridges in Iowa

Good Condition

36.5%

7,582 bridges rated 7-9

-13.5pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

20.0%

4,153 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

13.0pp vs national avg 7.0%

Iowa vs national bridge condition

Iowa - Good condition share 36.5%
National avg

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

Iowa - Poor-condition share 66.7%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.0%.

Iowa 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 Iowa on the same metric.

WV

West Virginia

16.02% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,679

SD

South Dakota

16.24% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,905
Selected

IA

Iowa

20.01% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20,753

VI

Virgin Islands

29.17% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Iowa

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

All Bridges in Iowa

US 169

Fair

Over: W FORK DES MOINES RIVER

0.6 mi S of IA 3, Humboldt, IA

Built 1997 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 7,100

470TH

Fair

Over: WAPSIPINICON RIVER

100153401, Mitchell, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 295

480TH

Fair

Over: BIG CEDAR RIVER

100182801, Mitchell, IA

Built 1979 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 216

FM

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

095410401, O'Brien, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,087

SB US 75

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.3 mi. N of SR C70, Plymouth, IA

Built 1948 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 7,500

LOCAL

Fair

Over: DD #171 NO LIZARD CK

091312501, Pocahontas, IA

Built 1985 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 20

LOCAL

Fair

Over: LIZARD CK DD #114

092331502, Pocahontas, IA

Built 1977 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 30

I 880 EB

Fair

Over: MOSQUITO CREEK

0.5 MI. E OF JCT. IA 191, Pottawattamie, IA

Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,900

MCPHERSON AVE

Fair

Over: OVER BNSF RR

000000000, Pottawattamie, IA

Built 1990 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,786

FM

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

076222306, Warren, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 439

FM

Fair

Over: SOUTH CHARITON

069222101, Wayne, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 30

STORY AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

0874203, Woodbury, IA

Built 2004 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Fair

Over: MCELHANEY CREEK

089442302, Woodbury, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 11

LOCAL

Fair

Over: BIG WHISKEY CREEK

089461302, Woodbury, IA

Built 1982 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 110

IA 17

Fair

Over: BOONE RIVER

2.0 mi. N of jct. SR C70, Wright, IA

Built 1933 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,170

FM

Fair

Over: WHITE FOX CREEK

091243102, Wright, IA

Built 1980 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 917

FM

Fair

Over: FROG CREEK

081280903, Dallas, IA

Built 1920 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 428

LOCAL

Fair

Over: FLINT RIVER

070030408, Des Moines, IA

Built 1974 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 73

LOCAL

Fair

Over: LYNN CREEK

073073603, Henry, IA

Built 1973 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 51

LOCAL

Fair

Over: GRITTER CREEK

078113102, Iowa, IA

Built 1980 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 15

IA 78

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.4 MI. W OF JCT. IA 1, Keokuk, IA

Built 1947 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 1,590

FM

Fair

Over: ENGLISH CREEK

075192006, Marion, IA

Built 1978 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 140

432ND ST

Fair

Over: FARM CREEK

00000, Pottawattamie, IA

Built 2011 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Fair

Over: DEER CREEK

083150407, Tama, IA

Built 1940 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 44

LOCAL

Fair

Over: CALEB CREEK

068232201, Wayne, IA

Built 1993 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 15

FM

Fair

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

076302104, Adair, IA

Built 1969 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 1,047

LOCAL

Fair

Over: CREEK

078360504, Audubon, IA

Built 1939 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 30

LOCAL (LWC)

Fair

Over: BR PRAIRIE CK

083122403, Benton, IA

Built 1979 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 40

FM

Fair

Over: PRATT CREEK

085110401, Benton, IA

Built 1982 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 25

FM

Fair

Over: STREAM

089070702, Buchanan, IA

Built 1968 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 982

KEOKUK AVE

Fair

Over: MALONE CR

089091303, Buchanan, IA

Built 2004 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 49

IA 150

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.4 mi. S of SR C57, Buchanan, IA

Built 1984 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,890

IA 122 WB

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

4.4 MI. E OF JCT. I-35, Cerro Gordo, IA

Built 1970 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 6,850

HICKORY AVE

Fair

Over: BLOODY RUN

095042802, Clayton, IA

Built 1920 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 108

FIELD ENTRANCE

Fair

Over: SIDE DITCH

067261004, Decatur, IA

Built 1994 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 10

170TH ST

Fair

Over: VOLGA RIVER

093101401, Fayette, IA

Built 1928 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 15

STONE BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: BR KITTY CREEK

086033204, Jones, IA

Built 1998 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 113

FM

Fair

Over: LONG CREEK

074051204, Louisa, IA

Built 1965 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 290

A50 (BRIDGE ST)

Fair

Over: BIG SIOUX RIVER

098492519, Lyon, IA

Built 1971 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 888

LOCAL ROAD

Fair

Over: OVERFLOW

099431102, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 26

LOCAL

Fair

Over: SMALL

076273603, Madison, IA

Built 1989 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 11

FM

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

079230803, Polk, IA

Built 1966 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,715

400TH STREET

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

077401102, Pottawattamie, IA

Built 1948 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 40

NB I-35

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

3.3 MILES SOUTH OF SR E18, Story, IA

Built 1967 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 15,250

FM

Fair

Over: DES MOINES RIVER

069102725, Van Buren, IA

Built 1960 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 1,120

LOCAL ROAD

Fair

Over: BRANCH OTTER CREEK

074233002, Warren, IA

Built 1970 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 41

LOCAL

Fair

Over: BOONE RIVER

091260503, Wright, IA

Built 1986 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 50

FM

Fair

Over: CREEK

078343004, Audubon, IA

Built 1920 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 60

LOCAL

Fair

Over: SMALL STREAM

091172202, Butler, IA

Built 1900 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 30

LOCAL

Fair

Over: LITTLE WAPSIPINICON

096132003, Chickasaw, IA

Built 1976 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 49

Showing 5,201-5,250 of 20,753 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.

Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.