Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publishes a report card about the state of infrastructure in the US. The report profiles a wide range of assets, from bridges and landfills to highways and public schools. It summarizes current conditions and future needs, as well as potential solutions. But most of all, it raises awareness about the poor condition of critical systems that underpin daily life in the US.
For this year’s report, ASCE partnered with Esri to create a set of maps to accompany the 2025 report card. The interactive story highlights the many (and sometimes unseen) layers of infrastructure across the US.
The story begins with the example of a 2019 polar vortex in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A series of maps then steps through the various layers of cold weather-resistant infrastructure in the city. It includes the city’s 9.5-mile-long Skyway network of enclosed walkways, as well as roads and bridges. The map also calls out the I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge, which is equipped with a built-in deicing system. Heated transit stops, the city’s light rail, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are also highlighted. Despite its frequent exposure to cold weather, MSP boasts one of the lowest flight-delay rates in the US, thanks to its fleet of deicing vehicles.
Even during a winter storm, these layers of infrastructure work together to keep the city moving. This is no accident. Governments and agencies designed and maintain these systems for this exact purpose. The story then highlights how infrastructure connects and supports the US as a whole. A series of maps show airports, power plants and transmission lines, ports and waterways, and landfills. These systems don’t always get the attention they deserve, but they impact our economies, safety, recreation, and quality of life.
That’s why the final map in the series is so startling. It shows each state’s infrastructure report card. While the US has a C average (up from a C- in 2021), no state grades out above a C+. Wisconsin, Georgia, and Utah hit that mark, while West Virginia has the worst grade with a D. As the map shows, there’s work to be done in every state.
More to Explore
- Read the full 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
- See the collective mass of physical assets like infrastructure in this 3D map.
- Browse a map of the most vulnerable bridges in the US.
