Bridge conditions in Buena Vista County, Iowa
157 inventoried bridges · 54 rated poor · 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
About one in 3 bridges in Buena Vista County is rated in poor condition: 54 of 157 on the federal inventory, one of the higher shares in Iowa.
- 54 of the 157 bridges in Buena Vista County, Iowa, are rated in poor condition (34.4%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory, as of .
- 56 bridges (35.7%) are rated good and 47 (29.9%) fair.
- The median Buena Vista County bridge was built in 1978.
- The busiest poor-rated bridge is FM over Raccoon River (built 1976), carrying about 1,228 vehicles a day.
Good 35.7% · Fair 29.9% · Poor 34.4% of 157 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FM over Raccoon River | 1976 | 1,228 | Poor |
| FM over Sm Stream | 1974 | 569 | Poor |
| FM over Little Maple River | 1974 | 569 | Poor |
| FM over Brooks Creek | 1966 | 509 | Poor |
| FM over Dd 34 Lat #2 | 1979 | 489 | Poor |
| FM over Creek | 1970 | 469 | Poor |
| FM over Maple River | 1964 | 450 | Poor |
| FM over Small | 1978 | 390 | Poor |
| FM over Creek | 1964 | 339 | Poor |
| FM over Creek | 1976 | 249 | Poor |
| FM over Branch Little Sioux Rvr | 1967 | 120 | Poor |
| Local over Drainage Ditch | 1971 | 100 | Poor |
| FM over Brooks Creek | 1974 | 100 | Poor |
| FM over Prairie Creek D D #1 | 1978 | 90 | Poor |
| FM over Stream | 1973 | 60 | Poor |
| Local over Creek | 1969 | 50 | Poor |
| Local over Drainage Ditch | 1977 | 50 | Poor |
| Local over Creek | 1976 | 45 | Poor |
| Local over Branch Raccoon River | 1970 | 45 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1976 | 45 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1917 | 40 | Poor |
| Local over Raccoon River | 1933 | 34 | Poor |
| Local over D D #106 | 1978 | 34 | Poor |
| Local over Drainage Ditch | 1971 | 34 | Poor |
| Local over Boyer Creek | 1978 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Drainage Ditch | 1971 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1977 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Branch of Maple | 1978 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1930 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Brooks Creek | 1918 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1971 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Br Little Sioux River | 1971 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Drainage Ditch | 1973 | 30 | Poor |
| Local over Raccoon River | 1914 | 26 | Poor |
| FM over Br Little Sioux River | 1960 | 26 | Poor |
| Local over Stream | 1975 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1923 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1925 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1971 | 20 | Poor |
| 520TH St over Br Raccoon River | 1931 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Raccoon River | 1977 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1920 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Little Sioux River | 1922 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Stream | 1973 | 20 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1972 | 15 | Poor |
| Local over Creek | 1972 | 15 | Poor |
| Local over Maple River | 1914 | 15 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1977 | 15 | Poor |
| Local over Stream | 1915 | 15 | Poor |
| Local over Br Raccoon River | 1928 | 11 | Poor |
| Local over Brooks Creek | 1924 | 11 | Poor |
| Local over Stream | 1900 | 11 | Poor |
| Local over Br Little Sioux River | 1921 | 11 | Poor |
| Local over Stream | 1973 | 5 | Poor |
Busiest bridges in the county
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ia 110 over Storm Lake Inlet | 1978 | 4,890 | Good |
| Ia 7 over Powell Creek | 1992 | 4,720 | Fair |
| US 71 & Ia 10 over Little Sioux River | 1973 | 4,570 | Fair |
| US 71 over Drainage Ditch #34 | 1985 | 3,830 | Good |
| US 71 over Drainage Ditch #34 | 1985 | 3,830 | Fair |
| US 71 over Branch Raccoon River | 1996 | 3,000 | Fair |
| US 71 over Stream | 1996 | 3,000 | Good |
| Ia 7 over Stream | 1936 | 2,530 | Fair |
| M44 105TH Ave over Poor Farm Creek | 2017 | 2,414 | Good |
| Ia 7 over Drainage Ditch | 1937 | 2,050 | Fair |
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.