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Bridge conditions in Benton County, Iowa

373 inventoried bridges · 81 rated poor · 2025 National Bridge Inventory

United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled August 20, 2026

About one in 5 bridges in Benton County is rated in poor condition: 81 of 373 on the federal inventory, one of the higher shares in Iowa.

81 of the 373 bridges in Benton County, Iowa, are rated in poor condition (21.7%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory, as of August 20, 2026.
134 bridges (35.9%) are rated good and 158 (42.4%) fair.
The median Benton County bridge was built in 1987.
The busiest poor-rated bridge is 4TH St over Hinkle Creek (built 1973), carrying about 3,197 vehicles a day.

Good 35.9% · Fair 42.4% · Poor 21.7% of 373 bridges

Bridges rated poor

Every bridge in the county with a poor rating, busiest first. Poor means a major component is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale; it is a repair flag, not a closure notice.

Bridge	Built	Vehicles/day	Condition
4TH St over Hinkle Creek	1973	3,197	Poor
FM over Bear Creek	1969	2,740	Poor
30 Ave over Small Natural Stream	1958	1,561	Poor
FM over Dry Creek	1961	1,444	Poor
FM over Bear Creek	1957	1,414	Poor
FM over Cedar River	1969	1,267	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1965	1,090	Poor
FM over Opossum Creek	1959	1,090	Poor
FM over Opossum Creek	1959	1,090	Poor
13 Ave over Buckeye Creek	1976	1,002	Poor
FM over Small Stream	1925	940	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1969	835	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1960	820	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1961	766	Poor
FM over Hinkle Creek	1962	570	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1967	550	Poor
FM over Pratt Creek	1989	540	Poor
FM over Pratt Creek	1956	540	Poor
FM over Hinkle Creek	1988	530	Poor
FM over Spring Creek	1959	430	Poor
FM over Rock Creek	1985	430	Poor
FM over Br Little Bear Creek	1929	422	Poor
10TH Ave over Minnow Creek	1900	349	Poor
FM (lwc) over Small Stream	1990	330	Poor
FM over Cedar River	1968	324	Poor
FM over Mud Creek	1955	200	Poor
FM over Br Cedar River	1975	150	Poor
FM over Buckeye Creek	1973	100	Poor
Local over Morgan Creek	1964	90	Poor
Local over Prairie Ck	1971	90	Poor
FM over Br Rock Ck	1973	90	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1900	80	Poor
Local (lwc) over Br Prairie Ck	1978	60	Poor
E. 13TH St over Mud Ck	1965	60	Poor
Local over Stein Ck	1971	60	Poor
Local over Stream	1959	50	Poor
Local over Dry Ck	1973	50	Poor
Local over Prairie Creek	1970	50	Poor
Local over Prairie Creek	1947	50	Poor
Local (lwc) over Weasel Creek	1979	45	Poor
FM over Prairie Creek	1959	45	Poor
Local over Br Buckeye Ck	1976	45	Poor
Local over Bear Ck	1941	40	Poor
Local over Dry Creek	1976	39	Poor
Local over Wild Cat Creek	1900	39	Poor
Local (lwc) over Stream	1977	35	Poor
Local over Oppossum Creek	1960	34	Poor
Local over Br Opossum Ck	1970	34	Poor
Local over Mud Creek	1945	34	Poor
Local over Br Stein Ck	1969	34	Poor
Local over Stream	1977	30	Poor
FM over Branch Mud Creek	1983	30	Poor
FM over Rock Ck	1958	30	Poor
FM over Wolf Creek	1953	30	Poor
Local over Br Prairie Ck	1976	29	Poor
Local over Br Prairie Ck	1900	29	Poor
Local over Weasel Ck	1957	28	Poor
Local over Mud Creek	1976	26	Poor
Local over Mud Creek	1983	26	Poor
Local over Rock Creek	1982	26	Poor
Local over Spring Ck	1971	26	Poor
Local Rd over Br Mud Ck	1900	20	Poor
Local over Br Prairie Ck	1970	20	Poor
Local over Stream	1970	20	Poor
Local over Br Opossum Ck	1958	20	Poor
Local over Bear Ck	1972	20	Poor
FM (lwc) over Small Stream	1980	20	Poor
Local (lwc) over Prairie Creek	1980	15	Poor
Local over Prairie Creek	1974	15	Poor
Local over Br Wildcat Ck	1957	15	Poor
FM over Mud Creek	1951	15	Poor
Local over Stein Ck	1948	15	Poor
FM over Pratt Creek	1971	15	Poor
Local over Prairie Ck	1947	15	Poor
Local over Opossum Ck	1959	11	Poor
Local over Small Creek	1976	11	Poor
Local over Stein Ck	1999	11	Poor
Local over Rock Ck	1974	11	Poor
Local over Spring Ck	1971	11	Poor
Local over Br Stein Ck	1971	5	Poor
Local (lwc) over Branch Rock Creek	1984	5	Poor

Busiest bridges in the county

Bridge	Built	Vehicles/day	Condition
I 380 over Drainage Ditch	1982	21,300	Good
I-380 over Prairie Creek	1983	17,900	Good
US 30 & 218 over Stream	1991	15,400	Fair
I 380 NB over Ia 150	1982	8,550	Good
I 380 SB over Ia 150	1982	8,550	Good
US 151 over Knapp Creek	1995	7,800	Good
US 218 over Hinkle Creek	1959	4,910	Good
US 30 & US 218 over Mud Creek	2000	4,750	Fair
US 30 EB over Mud Creek	1998	4,750	Fair
US 30 EB over Prairie Creek	2022	3,850	Good

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025. Counts cover inventoried highway bridges over 20 feet; ratings are reported by the state DOT.

All of Iowa: Iowa bridge conditions by county · every download on the data page.

Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.