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

FM

Poor

Over: PLATTE BRANCH

068321001, Taylor, IA

Built 1952 ADT: 50

LOCAL

Poor

Over: PLATTE BRANCH

068321403, Taylor, IA

Built 1942 ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: EAST 102 RIVER

068330801, Taylor, IA

Built 1968 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: HONEY CREEK

068331103, Taylor, IA

Built 1954 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WEST 102 RIVER

068352203, Taylor, IA

Built 1968 ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

069330504, Taylor, IA

Built 1957 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF EAST 102 RIVER

069332401, Taylor, IA

Built 1953 ADT: 11

FM

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

069332601, Taylor, IA

Built 1938 ADT: 89

LOCAL

Poor

Over: MIDDLE 102 RIVER

069342704, Taylor, IA

Built 1949 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

069350804, Taylor, IA

Built 1900

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

069351904, Taylor, IA

Built 1953 ADT: 26

ADAMS-TAYLOR ST

Poor

Over: W BRANCH 102 RIVER

070330601, Taylor, IA

Built 1920 ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

070330604, Taylor, IA

Built 1952 ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: MIDDLE 102 RIVER

070341202, Taylor, IA

Built 1972 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WEST 102 RIVER

070341802, Taylor, IA

Built 1962 ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

070342906, Taylor, IA

Built 1970 ADT: 20

LOCAL

Poor

Over: W F 102 RIVER

070352601, Taylor, IA

Built 1910 ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

071281905, Union, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

071282106, Union, IA

Built 1992 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

071290502, Union, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: MIDDLE PLATTE RIVER

071311603, Union, IA

Built 1970 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

072291105, Union, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 21

LOCAL

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

072302704, Union, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 5

LOC DOGWOOD AVE

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

072311004, Union, IA

Built 1989 ADT: 35

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WEST PLATTE RIVER

072312102, Union, IA

Built 1900 ADT: 15

252ND ST

Poor

Over: FOX RIVER

068112203, Van Buren, IA

Built 1885 ADT: 104

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

070102303, Van Buren, IA

Built 1968 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: SMALL TRIBUTARY

070102303, Van Buren, IA

Built 1977 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: LITTLE SOAP CREEK

071141806, Wapello, IA

Built 1930 ADT: 35

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BRUSH CREEK

071143203, Wapello, IA

Built 1930 ADT: 25

LOCAL

Poor

Over: OVER IMRL RR

072141205, Wapello, IA

Built 1970 ADT: 62

25TH AVE

Poor

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

073121104, Wapello, IA

Built 1935 ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

073122905, Wapello, IA

Built 1965 ADT: 62

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: BRANCH OTTER CREEK

074232006, Warren, IA

Built 1950 ADT: 15

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: MILL BRANCH

074233602, Warren, IA

Built 1920 ADT: 82

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BROADHORN CREEK

074250504, Warren, IA

Built 1915 ADT: 46

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: BOX ELDER CREEK

074251405, Warren, IA

Built 1940 ADT: 15

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: BRANCH COAL CREEK

075220802, Warren, IA

Built 1960 ADT: 26

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: FLANK CR

075223303, Warren, IA

Built 1955 ADT: 30

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: FLANK CREEK

075223402, Warren, IA

Built 1963 ADT: 26

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: BRANCH PAINTER CREEK

075252803, Warren, IA

Built 1961 ADT: 51

FM

Poor

Over: BR SOUTH RIVER

076232606, Warren, IA

Built 1954 ADT: 170

UNDERWOOD AVE

Poor

Over: N FORK LONG CR

075061602, Washington, IA

Built 1953 ADT: 131

FM

Poor

Over: WEST FORK LOCUST

067200504, Wayne, IA

Built 1951 ADT: 80

FM

Poor

Over: JACKSON CREEK

068210107, Wayne, IA

Built 1953 ADT: 25

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

068222704, Wayne, IA

Built 1968 ADT: 20

LOCAL

Poor

Over: JACKSON CREEK

069213302, Wayne, IA

Built 1987 ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: HUNTER CREEK

069233004, Wayne, IA

Built 1979 ADT: 20

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DUCK VALLEY

070211406, Wayne, IA

Built 1968 ADT: 5

FM

Poor

Over: BRUSH CREEK

070220109, Wayne, IA

Built 1959 ADT: 50

Showing 17,051-17,100 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.