State profile · Above median Poor share

Iowa 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 Iowa.

23,719
Public bridges
38.8%
Good condition
19.2%
Poor condition

Iowa holds 23,719 public highway bridges (#7 of 52 by inventory) with a 19.16% Poor share (#1 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 19.2% 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 53 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

23,719

Public highway bridges in Iowa

Good Condition

38.8%

9,213 bridges rated 7-9

-11.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

19.2%

4,544 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

11.6pp vs national avg 7.5%

Iowa vs national bridge condition

Iowa - Good condition share 38.8%
National avg

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

Iowa - Poor-condition share 63.9%
National avg

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

Iowa 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: Iowa has 23,719 bridges and a 19.2% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #53 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 (%) IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%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%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%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: Iowa has 23,719 bridges and a 19.2% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #53 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.

Iowa 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

23,719 7th of 54 higher than 47 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 Iowa

The highlighted point is Iowa: 23,719 bridges and 19.16% in Poor condition, rank #53 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Iowa on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • South Dakota: 5,887 bridges · 16.36% Poor
  • West Virginia: 7,348 bridges · 18.64% Poor
  • Iowa: 23,719 bridges · 19.16% Poor
  • Virgin Islands: 24 bridges · 29.17% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Iowa

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 23,719 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Iowa’s inventory

State agency holds 17.7% of the 23,719 public highway bridges filed under Iowa in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Iowa’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 12.4% of the 23,719 bridges with a recorded original year in Iowa. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Iowa38.8%42%19.2%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Iowa (FHWA NBI)

Counties (99)

Adair 306 Adams 186 Allamakee 197 Appanoose 183 Audubon 206 Benton 374 Black Hawk 489 Boone 135 Bremer 266 Buchanan 316 Buena Vista 156 Butler 289 Calhoun 197 Carroll 249 Cass 295 Cedar 301 Cerro Gordo 266 Cherokee 248 Chickasaw 302 Clarke 168 Clay 151 Clayton 256 Clinton 372 Crawford 301 Dallas 199 Davis 165 Decatur 197 Delaware 293 Des Moines 176 Dickinson 84 Dubuque 346 Emmet 78 Fayette 362 Floyd 213 Franklin 228 Fremont 179 Greene 168 Grundy 289 Guthrie 263 Hamilton 165 Hancock 138 Hardin 241 Harrison 217 Henry 173 Howard 210 Humboldt 87 Ida 182 Iowa 241 Jackson 246 Jasper 382 Jefferson 157 Johnson 372 Jones 231 Keokuk 183 Kossuth 267 Lee 214 Linn 506 Louisa 151 Lucas 195 Lyon 276 Madison 225 Mahaska 225 Marion 217 Marshall 304 Mills 184 Mitchell 167 Monona 162 Monroe 130 Montgomery 210 Muscatine 144 O'Brien 264 Osceola 185 Page 196 Palo Alto 135 Plymouth 432 Pocahontas 201 Polk 545 Pottawattamie 557 Poweshiek 248 Ringgold 217 Sac 224 Scott 291 Shelby 207 Sioux 449 Story 296 Tama 337 Taylor 220 Union 169 Van Buren 156 Wapello 190 Warren 239 Washington 207 Wayne 163 Webster 190 Winnebago 55 Winneshiek 342 Woodbury 455 Worth 116 Wright 182

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.

SD

South Dakota

16.36% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,887

WV

West Virginia

18.64% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,348
Selected

IA

Iowa

19.16% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$23,719

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.

MAIN ST

Poor

Over: IOWA RIVER

089211800, Hardin, IA

Built 1936 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,858

SO MAIN ST

Poor

Over: CASCADE LANDING

000000000, Des Moines, IA

Built 1896 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 743

E 13TH ST

Poor

Over: OVER I.C.E. RR

000000000, Scott, IA

Built 1900 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 358

EMERSON ST

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

000000000, Madison, IA

Built 1965 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 396

1ST AVE S

Poor

Over: 21ST ST & RR

089282000, Webster, IA

Built 1968 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 9,860

1ST ST

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

D60500515, Audubon, IA

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 9

All Bridges in Iowa

SPENCER ST

Good

Over: HURLEY CREEK

072310103, Union, IA

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 501

OAK ST

Good

Over: HURLEY CREEK

072310104, Union, IA

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 501

E. MCKINLEY AVE

Good

Over: YEADER CREEK

078242700, Polk, IA

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,088

PARK AVE

Good

Over: FRINK CREEK

078252400, Polk, IA

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,599

SCOTT AVE

Good

Over: LEE TOWN CREEKWAY

078230700, Polk, IA

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,628

E 32ND ST-PERU

Good

Over: BORDEAUX RUN

N OF LIBERTY ST, Dubuque, IA

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,395

RICHLAND ST

Good

Over: MAQUOKETA RIVER

015000500, Delaware, IA

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 879

WALNUT ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

071122600, Wapello, IA

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 232

STATE ST

Good

Over: ROGERS CREEK

000000000, Linn, IA

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,981

CARTHAGE ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

000000000, Audubon, IA

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 695

KIRKWOOD STREET

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

072102508, Jefferson, IA

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,201

CALUMET AVE

Good

Over: RIO GRANDE CREEK

098440211, Lyon, IA

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 232

SIDNEY ST

Good

Over: RIO GRANDE CREEK

098440206, Lyon, IA

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 232

ELDORA RD.SW

Good

Over: SMALL STREAM

000000000, Black Hawk, IA

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 999

A AVE

Good

Over: SMALL CREEK

077071800, Washington, IA

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 234

C AVE

Good

Over: SMALL STREAM

077071800, Washington, IA

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 234

SOUTH MAIN ST

Good

Over: FARMERS CREEK

R3ET836N504NE, Jackson, IA

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 440

MAIN ST

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

000000000, Black Hawk, IA

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,341

JACKSON ST

Good

Over: BR. UPPER IOWA RIVER

100122803, Howard, IA

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 749

WILLOWBROOK DR

Good

Over: CHESALEA CREEK

000000000, Cerro Gordo, IA

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 644

MAIN ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

087382708, Sac, IA

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 306

ALBIA RD

Good

Over: KETTLE CREEK

072142603, Wapello, IA

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,480

SOUTH WARD STREET

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

072143600, Wapello, IA

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 199

IA 958/MADISON

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

072133101, Wapello, IA

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,488

VANDALIA RD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

078231600, Polk, IA

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,393

3RD STREET

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

080250100, Polk, IA

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,992

MENTZER RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

O80000510, Linn, IA

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,860

MAIN ST CO.L-55

Good

Over: STREAM

000000000, Mills, IA

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 847

COUNTRY CLUB

Good

Over: HANFORD CREEK

000000000, Woodbury, IA

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 488

FLOYD BLVD

Good

Over: CREEK

000000000, Woodbury, IA

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,659

OLD IA 141

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

0864426, Woodbury, IA

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 373

BROAD ST

Good

Over: SKUNK RIVER

085241201, Story, IA

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,834

WILSON ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

078272700, Dallas, IA

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 373

LOCAL CO RD EXT

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1st St NE 0.1M W OF 4thSt, Fayette, IA

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 176

ADAMS PKWY

Good

Over: CEDAR RIVER

000000000, Bremer, IA

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,666

WB I-80

Good

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

1.4 mi. W of IA 25, Adair, IA

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,400

QUINCE AVE

Good

Over: EAST NODAWAY RIVER

000000000, Adams, IA

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 450

IA 5

Good

Over: STREAM

1.4 mi. N of MO St. Line, Appanoose, IA

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,400

T61 (310TH AVE)

Good

Over: FOX RIVER

069162706, Appanoose, IA

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 990

OLD IA 369

Good

Over: CENTER BRANCH FOX RIVER

069162204, Appanoose, IA

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 990

OLD IA 369

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

069161006, Appanoose, IA

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 990

SOUTH STREET

Good

Over: NORTH FOX CREEK

070163401, Appanoose, IA

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 990

IA 21

Good

Over: BRANCH SALT CREEK

0.3 mi. S of Jct. SR E44, Benton, IA

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,470

51ST STREET

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

086091113, Benton, IA

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 707

IA 57

Good

Over: STREAM

6.1 mi. W of Jct. US 218, Black Hawk, IA

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,530

E 41

Good

Over: DES MOINES RIVER

084273607, Boone, IA

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,526

D22 (220TH ST)

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

088080305, Buchanan, IA

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,420

270TH ST

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK

088343501, Calhoun, IA

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 609

G 30 WHITE POLE RD

Good

Over: SMALL STREAM

077342203, Cass, IA

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,564

G 30 WHITE POLE RD

Good

Over: SMALL STREAM

077341407, Cass, IA

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,564

Showing 12,701-12,750 of 23,719 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 Iowa's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

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. Iowa 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.