Historic Bridges

94,376 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,376 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
CEDAR CRK. Illinois Fair 1905 121 75
CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 125
CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 75
CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 50
Beebe Creek Illinois Fair 1905 121 25
BR MCKEE CREEK Illinois Poor 1905 121 25
CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 50
CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 25
MILL CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 900
DRY BRANCH CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 150
LOGAN CREEK Illinois Good 1905 121 225
PURPUS CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 475
MINNIE CR Illinois Fair 1905 121 150
STONY CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 5,250
KENT CREEK Illinois Fair 1905 121 8,650
EAST FORK WHITE CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 10
KILMORE CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 102
WHISKEY RUN Indiana Fair 1905 121 141
BOGARD CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 150
DRY RUN Indiana Poor 1905 121 411
SNAIL CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 225
SNAIL CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 225
DRY FK WHITEWATER RIVER Indiana Poor 1905 121 125
BIG CEDAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 100
RAMSEY CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 100
BEECH CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 86
INDIAN CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 214
POSSUM HOLLOW CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 220
FOUR MILE CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 95
BUCK CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121
PLEASANT RUN Indiana Fair 1905 121 100
TEA CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 125
SLATE CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 100
STORM CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 125
PURDY MARSH Indiana Poor 1905 121
SINGER DITCH Indiana Good 1905 121 130
SMALLS CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 130
LEATHERWOOD CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 365
FALL CREEK Indiana Fair 1905 121 21,818
FALL CREEK Indiana Good 1905 121 9,937
POGUES RUN Indiana Fair 1905 121 4,945
ARMEY DITCH Indiana Poor 1905 121 1,250
Little RACCOON Creek Indiana Fair 1905 121 115
Big Creek Indiana Poor 1905 121 139
BR OF MILL CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121 110
BEAR CREEK Indiana Poor 1905 121
HUFFMAN DITCH Indiana Fair 1905 121 80
HOOPPOLE DITCH Indiana Fair 1905 121 450
BRANCH LAKE DRAIN Indiana Fair 1905 121 110
WABASH RIVER Indiana Fair 1905 121 230

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

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.