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
DRY RUN CREEK Iowa Poor 1905 121 2,673
COLD WATER CREEK Iowa Poor 1905 121 5
LITTLE SIOUX RIVER Iowa Poor 1905 121 41
STREAM Iowa Poor 1905 121 16
SOAP CREEK Iowa Poor 1905 121 70
INDIAN CREEK Iowa Fair 1905 121 5
VOLGA RIVER Iowa Poor 1905 121 15
DM RIVER Iowa Poor 1905 121 30
CLEAR CREEK Iowa Poor 1905 121 15
SMALL STREAM Iowa Poor 1905 121 34
STREAM Iowa Poor 1905 121 35
TRIB. TO INDIAN CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 45
HICKORY CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 30
ROCK CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 25
CLARKS CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 20
TRIB. TO DEER CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 25
WEST CEDAR CREEK Kansas Poor 1905 121 25
PEATS CREEK Kansas Fair 1905 121 35
SKUNK RUN Kansas Good 1905 121 1,350
TOWN BRANCH Kentucky Fair 1905 121 4,034
CUMBERLAND RIVER Kentucky Poor 1905 121 119
VAUGHAN STREAM Maine Fair 1905 121 1,480
LITTLE HUNTING CREEK Maryland Fair 1905 121 980
WATER TEN MILE RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1905 121 4,571
COMB ST3/ST28 & CHARLES Massachusetts Fair 1905 121 29,100
COMB MACRR/QUECHAN RIVE Massachusetts Good 1905 121 32,974
WATER QUINSIGAMOND RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1905 121 15,053
RR HRR Massachusetts Fair 1905 121 7,512
TR GREEN LINE D Massachusetts Poor 1905 121 96,206
WATER MILE BROOK Massachusetts Poor 1905 121 3,621
WATER TATNUCK BROOK Massachusetts Poor 1905 121 10,600
HOG CREEK DRAIN #40 Michigan Poor 1905 121 111
COLDWATER RIVER Michigan Poor 1905 121 108
BARNUM CREEK Michigan Fair 1905 121 163
DICKERSON CREEK Michigan Poor 1905 121 37
MIDDLE BR CASS RIVER Michigan Fair 1905 121 160
RICEFORD CREEK Minnesota Fair 1905 121 4
OKABENA CREEK Minnesota Poor 1905 121 10
SHIP CANAL Minnesota Fair 1905 121 6,143
PEDESTRIAN UNDERTAKE Minnesota Fair 1905 121 10
COMO-HARRIET STREETCAR Minnesota Fair 1905 121 774
APPLE CR Missouri Good 1905 121 25
SNI-A-BAR CR Missouri Good 1905 121 25
TRIB OF SALINE CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 35
TRIB OF S SALINE C Missouri Poor 1905 121 45
MILLERS CR Missouri Good 1905 121 50
E YELLOW CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 20
ELK FK Missouri Poor 1905 121 25
BRAZEAU CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 25
E FK FISHING RVR Missouri Fair 1905 121 35

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.