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%.

Condition Distribution

Iowa38.5%40.4%21.1%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Iowa (FHWA NBI)

Counties (99)

Adair 208 Adams 147 Allamakee 170 Appanoose 159 Audubon 161 Benton 327 Black Hawk 411 Boone 119 Bremer 220 Buchanan 281 Buena Vista 140 Butler 261 Calhoun 171 Carroll 223 Cass 237 Cedar 265 Cerro Gordo 210 Cherokee 223 Chickasaw 268 Clarke 150 Clay 138 Clayton 214 Clinton 325 Crawford 242 Dallas 154 Davis 156 Decatur 178 Delaware 254 Des Moines 156 Dickinson 73 Dubuque 304 Emmet 70 Fayette 288 Floyd 195 Franklin 214 Fremont 133 Greene 150 Grundy 270 Guthrie 236 Hamilton 134 Hancock 128 Hardin 211 Harrison 162 Henry 144 Howard 193 Humboldt 70 Ida 164 Iowa 189 Jackson 209 Jasper 321 Jefferson 142 Johnson 317 Jones 215 Keokuk 152 Kossuth 256 Lee 185 Linn 428 Louisa 134 Lucas 186 Lyon 241 Madison 221 Mahaska 219 Marion 204 Marshall 283 Mills 170 Mitchell 160 Monona 125 Monroe 126 Montgomery 184 Muscatine 127 O'Brien 229 Osceola 176 Page 185 Palo Alto 114 Plymouth 407 Pocahontas 186 Polk 415 Pottawattamie 469 Poweshiek 221 Ringgold 206 Sac 188 Scott 212 Shelby 194 Sioux 429 Story 262 Tama 307 Taylor 220 Union 153 Van Buren 142 Wapello 160 Warren 231 Washington 203 Wayne 163 Webster 179 Winnebago 48 Winneshiek 317 Woodbury 379 Worth 89 Wright 168

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.

270TH STREET

Poor

Over: ROSE BRANCH

071343401, Adams, IA

Built 1976 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 79

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

078342601, Audubon, IA

Built 1935 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 21

KLINE RD

Poor

Over: MUD CREEK

87-12-15-02-10, Black Hawk, IA

Built 1948 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 11

LOCAL - 700TH

Poor

Over: TRIB TROUBLESOME CREEK

077351402, Cass, IA

Built 1983 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 11

LOCAL - DAYTONA

Poor

Over: BUCK CREEK

077361903, Cass, IA

Built 1980 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 35

100TH ST.

Poor

Over: UNION CREEK

083E20101, Clinton, IA

Built 1900 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 78

All Bridges in Iowa

LOCAL

Poor

Over: SOUTH OTTER CREEK

072230502, Lucas, IA

Built 1999 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR OF SOUTH OTTER CREEK

072230805, Lucas, IA

Built 1966 ADT: 41

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WHITEBREAST CK,BR OF

072233107, Lucas, IA

Built 1938 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WHITEBREAST CREEK, BR OF

072233202, Lucas, IA

Built 1956 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WHITEBREAST CREEK

072233204, Lucas, IA

Built 1955 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR CARRUTHERS CREEK

073200102, Lucas, IA

Built 1930 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR CARRUTHERS CREEK

073200505, Lucas, IA

Built 2003 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CARRUTHERS CREEK

073201104, Lucas, IA

Built 1951 ADT: 11

310TH AVE

Poor

Over: CARRUTHERS CREEK

073201504, Lucas, IA

Built 1939 ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CARRUTHERS CREEK

073201005, Lucas, IA

Built 1940 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR N CEDAR CREEK

C00010110, Lucas, IA

Built 1940

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF LONG BRANCH CR

073210402, Lucas, IA

Built 1954 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR LITTLE WHITEBREAST CK

073210606, Lucas, IA

Built 1994 ADT: 41

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR OF ENGLISH CREEK

073211202, Lucas, IA

Built 1951 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: LITTLE WHITEBREAST CREEK

073211901, Lucas, IA

Built 1933 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR OF ENGLISH CREEK

073212103, Lucas, IA

Built 1939 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR OF ENGLISH CREEK

073212606, Lucas, IA

Built 1938 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STONY CREEK

073220902, Lucas, IA

Built 1965 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR LITTLE WHITEBREAST CR

073221206, Lucas, IA

Built 1929 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: LITTLE WHITEBREAST CREEK

073221304, Lucas, IA

Built 1936 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STONY FORK

073221708, Lucas, IA

Built 1999 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

073222806, Lucas, IA

Built 1956 ADT: 30

LOCAL

Poor

Over: OTTER CREEK

073230501, Lucas, IA

Built 1910 ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: S OTTER CREEK

073230904, Lucas, IA

Built 1970 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BR OF OTTER CREEK

073231707, Lucas, IA

Built 1953 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DR TO ENGLISH CREEK

073211202, Lucas, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 21

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: RAT CREEK

098432302, Lyon, IA

Built 1954 ADT: 26

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: OTTER CREEK

098433302, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 30

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: OVER FLOW

098433302, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 30

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: OTTER CREEK

098443502, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 30

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: EMERY CREEK

098450102, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 26

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

098460701, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 41

LOCAL

Poor

Over: ROCK RIVER

098462303, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 62

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: HEFFERMAN CREEK

098472802, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 11

220TH ST

Poor

Over: BIG SIOUX RIVER

098480804, Lyon, IA

Built 1925 ADT: 46

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: LITTLE ROCK RIVER

099430901, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 71

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: KLONDIKE CREEK

099481201, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 41

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: TOM CREEK

100442902, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 15

N 2ND AVE

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

100453304, Lyon, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 346

GRANDVIEW TRL

Poor

Over: N CLANTON CREEK

074283505, Madison, IA

Built 1895 ADT: 5

LOCAL RD

Poor

Over: N FORK CLANTON CREEK

074280906, Madison, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 15

FM

Poor

Over: CLANTON CREEK

075261202, Madison, IA

Built 1932 ADT: 450

FM

Poor

Over: OVERFLOW CLANTON CREEK

075261202, Madison, IA

Built 1932 ADT: 450

FM

Poor

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

076262908, Madison, IA

Built 1958 ADT: 300

LOCAL RD

Poor

Over: NORTH RIVER

076291104, Madison, IA

Built 1909 ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BADGER CREEK

077262401, Madison, IA

Built 1890 ADT: 40

LOCAL RD

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

077273204, Madison, IA

Built 1956 ADT: 11

LOCAL RD

Poor

Over: JIM CREEK

077291203, Madison, IA

Built 1895 ADT: 20

FM

Poor

Over: CEDAR CREEK

074141902, Mahaska, IA

Built 1963 ADT: 470

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

074142701, Mahaska, IA

Built 1948 ADT: 45

Showing 16,851-16,900 of 20,753 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.

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.