Historic Bridges

94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,381 bridges built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
WILLIMANTIC RIVER Connecticut Fair 1868 158 8,300
LITTLE SANDY RIVER Kentucky Fair 1868 158 94
ELLIS RIVER Maine Fair 1868 158 259
WATER FRENCH RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1868 158 12,630
CROSSWICKS CREEK New Jersey Poor 1868 158 3,122
MUSCONETCONG RIVER New Jersey Poor 1868 158 410
CONNEAUT CREEK Ohio Poor 1868 158 100
GRAND RIVER Ohio Good 1868 158 657
MANATAWNY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1868 158 255
WILLIAMS RIVER Vermont Good 1868 158 75
LITTLE PIGEON CREEK Indiana Poor 1869 157 137
OWENS CREEK Maryland Fair 1869 157 843
WATER SOUTH RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1869 157 100
WATER MUMFORD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1869 157 8,166
WATER SPICKET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1869 157 5,650
PEMIGEWASSET RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1869 157 1,584
COLD RIVER New Hampshire Poor 1869 157 164
SOUTH BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1869 157 500
ASSUNPINK CREEK New Jersey Fair 1869 157 7,875
W BR DELAWARE RVR New York Fair 1869 157 205
MAIDEN CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1869 157 206
SACONY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1869 157 113
CHIQUES CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1869 157 750
SAUGATUCK RIVER Connecticut Poor 1870 156 12,400
MILL BROOK Connecticut Fair 1870 156 4,800
TEN MILE RIVER Connecticut Fair 1870 156 500
MIDDLE RIVER Connecticut Fair 1870 156 600
WILDCAT Creek Indiana Fair 1870 156 81
WILDCAT Creek Indiana Fair 1870 156 91
TRIB. VERMILLION RIVER Kansas Fair 1870 156 80
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Poor 1870 156 7,063
WATER E BR NORTH RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 129
WATER STEARNS RESERVOIR Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 15,625
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 14,300
WATER BLACKSTONE CANAL Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 7,627
WATER WARE RIVER Massachusetts Poor 1870 156 15,517
WATER STONY BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 400
WATER STONY BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1870 156 3,400
SOUTH BR RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Poor 1870 156 403
SPRUCE RUN New Jersey Fair 1870 156 1,384
MOSES KILL New York Good 1870 156 5,069
TRIB WHITES STORE New York Fair 1870 156 65
MEADOW PORT ARCH New York Fair 1870 156 195
BATTENKILL RR New York Fair 1870 156 58
BLIND BROOK New York Fair 1870 156 118
W BR DELAWARE RIVER New York Poor 1870 156 295
MUNIC.WALK(EX-RR TUNNEL) Ohio Fair 1870 156 10,456
LITTLE DARBY Ohio Fair 1870 156 320
SPAIN CREEK Ohio Fair 1870 156 430
CONODOGUINET CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1870 156 248

Historic Bridges by State

States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.

StateHistoric BridgesOldest YearAvg Age
Texas 8,191 1900 89 yrs
Pennsylvania 6,062 1697 99 yrs
Kansas 5,656 1870 93 yrs
Oklahoma 5,554 1900 89 yrs
Missouri 4,522 1874 96 yrs
California 4,414 1860 91 yrs
New York 3,831 1800 96 yrs
Ohio 3,386 1828 101 yrs
Nebraska 3,270 1888 91 yrs
Illinois 3,065 1863 99 yrs
Iowa 3,036 1876 98 yrs
Tennessee 2,857 1841 89 yrs
Alabama 2,703 1800 90 yrs
Indiana 2,682 1838 98 yrs
Virginia 2,504 1820 92 yrs
Kentucky 2,241 1835 89 yrs
Arkansas 1,932 1860 89 yrs
Georgia 1,832 1872 88 yrs
New Jersey 1,814 1792 99 yrs
Michigan 1,528 1867 94 yrs
Massachusetts 1,481 1764 107 yrs
Wisconsin 1,333 1887 92 yrs
South Carolina 1,282 1910 89 yrs
West Virginia 1,245 1817 96 yrs
North Carolina 1,203 1900 89 yrs
Arizona 1,189 1900 90 yrs
Washington 1,188 1900 92 yrs
South Dakota 1,118 1900 92 yrs
Minnesota 1,035 1884 94 yrs
Vermont 987 1824 99 yrs
Maryland 968 1809 99 yrs
Mississippi 908 1900 87 yrs
Connecticut 860 1832 96 yrs
Colorado 857 1887 89 yrs
Oregon 790 1899 92 yrs
New Mexico 719 1908 87 yrs
New Hampshire 716 1832 97 yrs
Florida 707 1900 87 yrs
North Dakota 685 1885 91 yrs
Montana 662 1881 90 yrs
Maine 630 1854 92 yrs
Louisiana 614 1908 87 yrs
Puerto Rico 463 1842 95 yrs
Hawaii 386 1900 95 yrs
Idaho 354 1908 90 yrs
Utah 217 1905 88 yrs
Wyoming 191 1908 88 yrs
Rhode Island 179 1810 107 yrs
Delaware 122 1839 99 yrs
Nevada 89 1900 89 yrs
District of Columbia 81 1831 94 yrs
Alaska 37 1910 86 yrs
Virgin Islands 5 1904 112 yrs

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.