A Map of Every Bridge in the United States

Mapping the nation's 600,000 bridges reveals a remarkably fine-grained map of…the nation.

1 minute read

February 3, 2015, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Brooklyn Bridge

Luciano Mortula / Shutterstock

"In his 2016 budget, President Obama proposed a one-time tax on foreign earnings in order to fund a $478 billion program to upgrade the nation's roads, bridges, railroads and more. As policymakers debate the merits of the proposal in coming months, it helps to visualize what exactly we're talking about when we talk about the nation's infrastructure," writes Christopher Ingraham.

To create a resource to aid in that visualization, Wonkblog used data from the Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inventory and mapped every bridge in the United States longer than 20 feet.

Ingraham adds more language helpful in setting a political context for the mapping exercise: "The map illustrates the ubiquity of America's [sic] bridges -- it's basically impossible to go for a drive in any densely-populated area and not cross one. But each of those bridges -- all 600,000 of them -- need to be maintained. This maintenance costs money. And some states and localities do a better job of it than others."

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 in The Washington Post - Wonkblog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Two Rivian trucks charging at Rivian branded charging ports.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate

The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

4 hours ago - CALmatters

Metal U.S. Geodetic Survey marker in stone in Arizona.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency

The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

5 hours ago - Wired

Close-up of 10 mph speed limit sign.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law

Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.

6 hours ago - The Urbanist