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

EAST RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: FIRST CREEK

6 NORTH 6 WEST AMIDON, Slope, ND

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

6 WEST OF AMIDON, Slope, ND

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

54TH ST SW

Good

Over: PHILBRICK CREEK

7 NORTH 14 EAST OF AMIDON, Slope, ND

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: HEART RIVER

1 NORTH OF BELFIELD, Stark, ND

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

121st Avenue SW

Good

Over: HEART RIVER

NORTH OF SOUTH HEART, Stark, ND

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 710

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: MID. BRANCH GOOSE RIVER

7 EAST OF FINLEY, Steele, ND

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: N. MAYVILLE DRAIN NO. 8

3 EAST 4 NORTH MAYVILLE, Traill, ND

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: DES LACS RIVER

4 EAST 3 SOUTH CARPIO, Ward, ND

Built 2021 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

HQ ENTRANCE ROAD

Good

Over: LONG LAKE CREEK

1.1 MI SSW OF HQ, Burleigh, ND

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

C Dike Rd/102nd Av

Good

Over: LONG LAKE UNITS 3 & 2

2.5 MI NE OF HEADQUARTERS, Burleigh, ND

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

102ND AVE SE

Good

Over: UNIT I SPILLWAY

2.9 MI. WNW HEADQUARTERS, Burleigh, ND

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

B-DIKE ROAD

Good

Over: LONG. L. UNIT 1 OVERFLOW

0.1 MI SE OF HQ, Burleigh, ND

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

REFUGE ACCESS ROAD

Good

Over: UNNAMED MARSH

NE 1/4 SECT 6 T158N R76W, McHenry, ND

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

81ST STREET NORTH

Good

Over: OUTLET CHANNEL OF MARSH

SE 1/4 SEC 15 T159N R77W, McHenry, ND

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

REFUGE ACCESS ROAD

Good

Over: WILD RICE RIVER

SECT 5 T129N R53W, Sargent, ND

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

US HIGHWAY 2

Good

Over: BNRR

9 WEST OF N.D. HWY 41, Ward, ND

Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,040

ND HIGHWAY 18

Good

Over: CREEK

2 NORTH OF ND 17, Walsh, ND

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000

ND HIGHWAY 18

Good

Over: CREEK

4 NORTH OF ND 17, Walsh, ND

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000

INTERSTATE 29

Good

Over: COUNTY DRAIN NO. 13

2 SOUTH OF ND 54, Grand Forks, ND

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,400

ND HIGHWAY 49

Good

Over: KNIFE RIVER

1 SOUTH OF BEULAH, Mercer, ND

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,400

ND HIGHWAY 50

Good

Over: CREEK

7 EAST OF MONTANA LINE, Williams, ND

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 430

US HIGHWAY 85

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH HEART RIVER

8 SOUTH OF JCT. I-94, Stark, ND

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,320

US HIGHWAY 85

Good

Over: LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER

16 SOUTH OF ND 23, McKenzie, ND

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,680

INTERSTATE 94

Good

Over: MAPLE RIVER

6 EAST OF ND 18, Cass, ND

Built 2023 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,920

US HIGHWAY 281

Good

Over: MAPLE RIVER

2 SOUTH OF ND 13, LaMoure, ND

Built 1941 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 970

ND HIGHWAY 1804

Good

Over: CREEK

12 S 13 W OF STRASBURG, Emmons, ND

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 150

ND HIGHWAY 1804

Good

Over: CREEK

12 S 13 W OF STRASBURG, Emmons, ND

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

ND HIGHWAY 1806

Good

Over: HANS CREEK

6 NORTH 2 EAST HALLIDAY, Dunn, ND

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 90

PROSPECT AVE

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH PARK RIVER

CITY OF PARK RIVER, Walsh, ND

Built 1996 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 725

ND HIGHWAY 3

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SHEYENNE RIVER

5 SOUTH ND HWY 19, Pierce, ND

Built 1953 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 530

ND HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CHANTA PETA CREEK

4 EAST OF FLASHER, Morton, ND

Built 1954 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 860

7TH AVE. NORTH

Good

Over: I-29/7TH AVE N SEP

1 NORTH OF US 10, Cass, ND

Built 1966 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 5,125

US HIGHWAY 81

Good

Over: CREEK

2 SOUTH OF ND 17, Walsh, ND

Built 1951 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 2,490

27TH ST. NE

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

2 EAST 8 NORTH OF LEMMON, Adams, ND

Built 2006 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 100

139th Ave. SW

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

6 NORTH 6 EAST BOWMAN, Bowman, ND

Built 1989 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 65

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO MAPLE RIVER

2 EAST OF CHAFFEE, Cass, ND

Built 1985 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 310

58th St SW

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

13 NORTH OF NEW LEIPZIG, Grant, ND

Built 1965 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY RIVER

1 EAST 6 SOUTH ZAHL, Williams, ND

Built 1967 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 30

US HIGHWAY 2

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

4 EAST OF US 85 SOUTH, Williams, ND

Built 1960 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 2,550

INTERSTATE 29

Good

Over: CREEK

NORTH OF THOMPSON INTER., Grand Forks, ND

Built 1967 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 11,600

ND HIGHWAY 1806

Good

Over: BR.SQUARE BUTTE CREEK

1 SOUTH OF COUNTY LINE, Morton, ND

Built 2011 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 300

ND HIGHWAY 1806

Good

Over: CHERRY CREEK

3 NORTH ND 23, McKenzie, ND

Built 2021 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 5,980

171ST ST NE

Good

Over: APPLE CREEK

1 EAST 2 NORTH OF MENOKEN, Burleigh, ND

Built 1986 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

23RD STREET SE

Good

Over: MAPLE RIVER/DRAIN 46

WEST 5 SOUTH OF PAGE, Cass, ND

Built 2022 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CREEK

4 NORTH 3 EAST ROCKLAKE, Towner, ND

Built 2018 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

US HIGHWAY 83

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SAND CREEK

7 NORTH OF ND 13 WEST, Emmons, ND

Built 1941 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,570

US HIGHWAY 83

Good

Over: BNRR-CP-MOUSE RIVER

NORTH OF U.S. 2 NORTH, Ward, ND

Built 2018 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 27,766

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I-94/WINDSOR INTERCHANGE

15 WEST OF JAMESTOWN, Stutsman, ND

Built 1959 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 180

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CREEK

1 EAST OF HARWOOD, Cass, ND

Built 1991 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 240

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I-29/KELSO SEPARATION

3 SOUTH OF ND 200, Traill, ND

Built 1970 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 90

Showing 2,701-2,750 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.