State profile · Above median Poor share

North Dakota 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 North Dakota.

4,255
Public bridges
42.3%
Good condition
11.0%
Poor condition

North Dakota holds 4,255 public highway bridges (#39 of 52 by inventory) with a 10.98% Poor share (#10 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 11.0% 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 43 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

4,255

Public highway bridges in North Dakota

Good Condition

42.3%

1,800 bridges rated 7-9

-7.7pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

11.0%

467 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

3.5pp vs national avg 7.5%

North Dakota vs national bridge condition

North Dakota - Good condition share 42.3%
National avg

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

North Dakota - Poor-condition share 36.6%
National avg

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

North Dakota 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: North Dakota has 4,255 bridges and a 11.0% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #43 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 (%) ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%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%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%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%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: North Dakota has 4,255 bridges and a 11.0% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #43 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.

North Dakota 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

4,255 39th of 54 higher than 15 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 North Dakota

The highlighted point is North Dakota: 4,255 bridges and 10.98% in Poor condition, rank #43 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below North Dakota on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Illinois: 26,928 bridges · 9.35% Poor
  • New York: 17,642 bridges · 9.43% Poor
  • North Dakota: 4,255 bridges · 10.98% Poor
  • Michigan: 11,371 bridges · 11.27% Poor
  • Louisiana: 12,698 bridges · 11.48% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in North Dakota

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 4,255 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains North Dakota’s inventory

State agency holds 27.1% of the 4,255 public highway bridges filed under North Dakota in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When North Dakota’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 14.8% of the 4,255 bridges with a recorded original year in North Dakota. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

North Dakota42.3%46.7%11%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - North Dakota (FHWA NBI)

Counties (53)

Adams 45 Barnes 79 Benson 40 Billings 60 Bottineau 124 Bowman 69 Burke 29 Burleigh 113 Cass 369 Cavalier 66 Dickey 43 Divide 13 Dunn 74 Eddy 27 Emmons 67 Foster 19 Golden Valley 34 Grand Forks 335 Grant 60 Griggs 22 Hettinger 64 Kidder 10 LaMoure 60 Logan 13 McHenry 112 McIntosh 11 McKenzie 129 McLean 57 Mercer 72 Morton 272 Mountrail 27 Nelson 23 Oliver 24 Pembina 204 Pierce 5 Ramsey 48 Ransom 35 Renville 24 Richland 197 Rolette 18 Sargent 30 Sheridan 8 Sioux 22 Slope 43 Stark 157 Steele 94 Stutsman 78 Towner 58 Traill 151 Walsh 257 Ward 123 Wells 41 Williams 100

North Dakota 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 North Dakota on the same metric.

IL

Illinois

9.35% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$26,928

NY

New York

9.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$17,642
Selected

ND

North Dakota

10.98% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,255

MI

Michigan

11.27% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,371

LA

Louisiana

11.48% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,698

Bridges Needing Most Attention in North Dakota

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

14TH ST SW

Poor

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

7 SOUTH 2 EAST REEDER, Adams, ND

Built 1919 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

17TH AVE NW

Poor

Over: CEDAR CREEK

4 WEST 15 NORTH HETTINGER, Adams, ND

Built 1925 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Poor

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

8 WEST 3 SOUTH OBERON, Benson, ND

Built 1907 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY TRAIL

Poor

Over: COULEE

6 E 1 N MINNEWAUKAN, Benson, ND

Built 1942 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1

COUNTY TRAIL

Poor

Over: CREEK

2 EAST 5 SOUTH OF LOMA, Cavalier, ND

Built 1949 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2

COUNTY TRAIL

Poor

Over: CREEK

9 EAST 2 SOUTH OF HANNAH, Cavalier, ND

Built 1959 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

All Bridges in North Dakota

67TH STREET

Good

Over: LOUSE CREEK

1 SOUTHEAST OF FLASHER, Morton, ND

Built 1993 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 25

HIGHWAY 134

Good

Over: CANTEPETA CREEK

6 SOUTH 3 WEST OF FT RICE, Morton, ND

Built 1983 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

7 WEST OF MCVILLE, Nelson, ND

Built 1984 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 20

35TH AVE SW

Good

Over: 23 1/2 Street SW

3 EAST 3 SOUTH CENTER, Oliver, ND

Built 1993 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 385

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: PEMBINA RIVER

5 EAST 1 SOUTH OF NECHE, Pembina, ND

Built 1980 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 24

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: TONGUE RIVER

3 SOUTH 3 WEST OF PEMBINA, Pembina, ND

Built 1982 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: WILD RICE RIVER

2 EAST 1 SOUTH DWIGHT, Richland, ND

Built 1991 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 37

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GOOSE RIVER

17 EAST 3 NORTH FINLEY, Steele, ND

Built 1981 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

3 EAST 2 NORTH OF KINDRED, Cass, ND

Built 1985 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GOOSE RIVER

2 WEST OF NORTHWOOD, Grand Forks, ND

Built 1996 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 235

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DRAIN DITCH

1 WEST 4 NORTH MERRIFIELD, Grand Forks, ND

Built 1991 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: COULEE

2 EAST 2 NORTH EDMORE, Ramsey, ND

Built 2013 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: WILD RICE RIVER

2 SOUTH OF CAYUGA, Sargent, ND

Built 1989 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 150

47TH ST SW

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

1 W 10 S OF RICHARDSON, Stark, ND

Built 1997 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GOOSE RIVER

10 NORTH 13 EAST FINLEY, Steele, ND

Built 1994 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GOOSE RIVER

1 NORTHEAST OF CALEDONIA, Traill, ND

Built 2018 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 160

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: JAMES RIVER

9 EAST 3 NORTH FESSENDEN, Wells, ND

Built 1962 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 20

5TH AVE NE

Good

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

NORTH VALLEY ROAD, Barnes, ND

Built 2012 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 1,400

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

3 EAST OF KINDRED, Cass, ND

Built 1995 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: MAPLE RIVER

4 SOUTH 4 EAST ELLENDALE, Dickey, ND

Built 1985 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 70

PARK ROAD

Good

Over: TURTLE RIVER

TURTLE RIVER STATE PARK, Grand Forks, ND

Built 2001 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 175

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: WILD RICE RIVER

2 EAST OF DWIGHT, Richland, ND

Built 1997 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 140

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: BOIS DE SIOUX RIVER

2 EAST OF TYLER, Richland, ND

Built 1983 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 345

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: MCCLUSKY CANAL R2-1

6 WEST 6 SOUTH MERCER, McLean, ND

Built 1973 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 100

EAST RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: THIRD CREEK

4 EAST 19 SOUTH OF MEDORA, Billings, ND

Built 1998 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: FIELD DRAIN

1 EAST 1 SOUTH OF CHAFFEE, Cass, ND

Built 2012 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE BEAVER CREEK

8 NORTH OF BEACH, Golden Valley, ND

Built 1993 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 75

82ND ST SW

Good

Over: CREEK

3 WEST OF SHIELDS, Grant, ND

Built 1988 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 120

CR 87

Good

Over: HAILSTORM CREEK

9 EAST 7 NORTH NEW SALEM, Morton, ND

Built 2006 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 30

19th Street SW

Good

Over: SQUARE BUTTE CREEK

2 NORTH OF HANNOVER, Oliver, ND

Built 1987 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 10

127th Avenue SW

Good

Over: BULL CREEK

3 EAST 8 SOUTH BELFIELD, Stark, ND

Built 2003 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 26

122nd Avenue SW

Good

Over: HEART RIVER

1 WEST OF SOUTH HEART, Stark, ND

Built 1996 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 24

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CREEK

4 SO. 1 EAST OF WHEATLAND, Cass, ND

Built 2011 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: WILD RICE RIVER

4 WEST 1 NORTH MANTADOR, Richland, ND

Built 1986 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 50

109TH AVE NW

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

5 EAST 6 SOUTH RAY, Williams, ND

Built 2019 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 200

127th Avenue SW

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH HEART RIVER

3 EAST 6 SOUTH BELFIELD, Stark, ND

Built 1993 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CREEK

8 EAST OF PICKERT, Steele, ND

Built 1975 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 110

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: HARRIET DRAIN DITCH

5 SOUTH OF GRAFTON, Walsh, ND

Built 2004 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 10

101st St SW

Good

Over: KNIFE RIVER

3 SOUTH 7 EAST MANNING, Dunn, ND

Built 1984 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

3 SOUTH OF GRAND FORKS, Grand Forks, ND

Built 2006 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 1,220

COUNTY HIGHWAY 84

Good

Over: SWEET BRIAR

3 NORTH OF JUDSON, Morton, ND

Built 1988 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 230

64TH ST

Good

Over: NW BR CANTEPETA CREEK

2 SOUTH 9 WEST FORT RICE, Morton, ND

Built 1971 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 24

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: PEMBINA RIVER

5 EAST 1 SOUTH OF NECHE, Pembina, ND

Built 1987 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 280

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: ANTELOPE CREEK

6 WEST 3 SOUTH OF COLFAX, Richland, ND

Built 1988 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 50

126TH AVE SW

Good

Over: CANNONBALL RIVER

7 NORTH 16 EAST OF AMIDON, Slope, ND

Built 1991 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 65

GRAVEL ROAD

Good

Over: JAMES RIVER

1 SOUTH OF MONTPELIER, Stutsman, ND

Built 1986 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORTH BRANCH ELM RIVER

2 NORTH 3 EAST BLANCHARD, Traill, ND

Built 2013 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 20

11TH ST WEST

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

WEST WILLISTON, Williams, ND

Built 2015 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 7,110

5TH AVE. SE

Good

Over: SHEYENNE RIVER

5TH AVE SE, Barnes, ND

Built 1989 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 2,225

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CREEK

3W 4N WHITE EARTH, Mountrail, ND

Built 1980 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 20

Showing 2,301-2,350 of 4,255 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 North Dakota's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in North Dakota and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

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. North Dakota 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.