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: STREAM

089370502, Sac, IA

Built 1960 Load: 7.2 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: KEG CREEK

079403503, Shelby, IA

Built 1969 Load: 7.2 t ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: SMALL

097462203, Sioux, IA

Built 1965 Load: 7.2 t ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

068352505, Taylor, IA

Built 1955 Load: 7.2 t ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

068180303, Appanoose, IA

Built 1948 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 35

FM

Poor

Over: MUD CREEK

084111201, Benton, IA

Built 1951 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 15

FM

Poor

Over: WEST FORK CEDAR RIVER

090151102, Butler, IA

Built 1920 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 79

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BOYER RIVER

085382303, Crawford, IA

Built 1980 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 15

ENTRANCE

Poor

Over: SIDE DITCH BRIDGE

094083303, Fayette, IA

Built 1948 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 10

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: BRANCH BLACK HAWK CREEK

087160403, Grundy, IA

Built 1971 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 33

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: WILLIAMS CREEK

073060505, Henry, IA

Built 1966 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 11

FM

Poor

Over: BITTER CREEK

089411504, Ida, IA

Built 1957 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 15

S 112TH AVE E

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

078183003, Jasper, IA

Built 1939 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 42

S 68TH AVE E

Poor

Over: SLATER CREEK

079183601, Jasper, IA

Built 1927 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 70

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

077152301, Mahaska, IA

Built 1900 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: NORTH WALNUT CREEK

081150201, Poweshiek, IA

Built 1951 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 34

FM

Poor

Over: NORTH BEAR CREEK

100071502, Winneshiek, IA

Built 1957 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 39

LOCAL

Poor

Over: ELK GROVE BRANCH

080330304, Guthrie, IA

Built 1985 Load: 7.4 t ADT: 34

LOC 220TH AVE

Poor

Over: LINDNER CREEK

097273402, Kossuth, IA

Built 1965 Load: 7.4 t ADT: 82

LOCAL

Poor

Over: CREEK

083190503, Marshall, IA

Built 1917 Load: 7.4 t ADT: 35

LCL-PATHFIELD

Poor

Over: WAUBONSIE CR

071421803, Mills, IA

Built 1940 Load: 7.4 t ADT: 20

220TH STREET

Poor

Over: SNAKE CREEK

068380203, Page, IA

Built 1980 Load: 7.4 t ADT: 20

LOCAL 540TH ST

Poor

Over: SMALL CREEK

091420103, Cherokee, IA

Built 1919 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 11

LOCAL

Poor

Over: SMALL STREAM

085401102, Crawford, IA

Built 1962 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 26

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STEEL CREEK

068242303, Decatur, IA

Built 1927 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 11

290 STREET

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

067411501, Fremont, IA

Built 1920 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: HONEY CREEK

086202208, Hardin, IA

Built 1984 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 73

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

089202101, Hardin, IA

Built 1978 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 73

E 132ND ST S

Poor

Over: TURNER CREEK

079170302, Jasper, IA

Built 1928 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 62

LCL-FRY AVE

Poor

Over: MUD CREEK

073413605, Mills, IA

Built 1940 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 26

FM

Poor

Over: STREAM

087353502, Sac, IA

Built 1924 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 50

WALNUT AVENUE

Poor

Over: CIPRA BRANCH

072321101, Adams, IA

Built 1955 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 15

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: CREEK

086180601, Grundy, IA

Built 1974 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 29

LOCAL

Poor

Over: DM RIVER

093280503, Humboldt, IA

Built 1911 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 60

E 64TH ST S

Poor

Over: STREAM

078181806, Jasper, IA

Built 1940 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 5

RED BRIDGE RD

Poor

Over: BUFFALO CR

086051903, Linn, IA

Built 1900 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: OVER BNSF RR

072392006, Montgomery, IA

Built 1977 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 61

FM

Poor

Over: SALT CREEK

085143406, Tama, IA

Built 1951 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 79

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

074221704, Warren, IA

Built 1958 Load: 7.6 t ADT: 30

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

069172603, Appanoose, IA

Built 1998 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 11

SUTTON RD

Poor

Over: WAPSIPINICON RIVER

086061904, Linn, IA

Built 1879 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 140

FIR AVE

Poor

Over: BROKEN KETTLE CREEK

092470402, Plymouth, IA

Built 1900 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 30

BLUEBIRD AVE

Poor

Over: DRAINAGE

092483102, Plymouth, IA

Built 1949 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 20

LOCAL ROAD

Poor

Over: CANOE CREEK

099073304, Winneshiek, IA

Built 1908 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 49

220TH STREET

Poor

Over: EAST NODAWAY RIVER

071340203, Adams, IA

Built 1930 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 33

NEWPORT RD

Poor

Over: BEAR BRANCH

075360702, Cass, IA

Built 1984 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 15

LOCAL

Poor

Over: BEAVER CREEK

085401102, Crawford, IA

Built 1962 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 26

LOC 100TH AVE

Poor

Over: BLACK CAT CREEK

096291002, Kossuth, IA

Built 1964 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 46

LOCAL

Poor

Over: STREAM

096331002, Palo Alto, IA

Built 1915 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 5

LOCAL

Poor

Over: KEG CREEK

078400606, Shelby, IA

Built 1924 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 20

Showing 17,401-17,450 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.