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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNI-A-BAR CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 330 |
| BR OF SNI-A-BAR CR | Missouri | Good | 1905 | 121 | 330 |
| COTTER CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 513 |
| EAST BR | Missouri | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 45 |
| HARRISON CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 50 |
| SALT POND CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 35 |
| DELAWARE CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 100 |
| YELLOW CR | Missouri | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 67 |
| LITTLE PRICKLY PEAR 109 | Montana | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 37 |
| LIME CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 30 |
| MITCHELL CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 15 |
| CUB CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 5 |
| STREAM | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 10 |
| WHISKEY RUN | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 10 |
| LOOKING GLASS CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 5 |
| UNION CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 20 |
| NORTH OMAHA CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 10 |
| NORTH OMAHA CREEK | Nebraska | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 10 |
| SQUAM RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 3,488 |
| WILDCAT BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 151 |
| CONTOOCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 96 |
| CONTOOCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Good | 1905 | 121 | 1,804 |
| STONY BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 2,883 |
| HO-HO-KUS BROOK | New Jersey | Good | 1905 | 121 | 4,438 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 29,431 |
| BOBBYS RUN | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 2,321 |
| ATLANTIC CITY LINE | New Jersey | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 288 |
| Park Rd & Branch Brook | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 19,357 |
| Montclair-Boonton Line | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 3,600 |
| MORRISTOWN LINE M.P.8.22 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 12,640 |
| Morristown Line MP 8.27 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 12,600 |
| Morristown Line MP 8.57 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 20,520 |
| Morristown Line MP 8.62 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 914 |
| MORRISTOWN LINE MP 8.67 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 925 |
| HOLLAND AVE (ABANDONED) | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 775 |
| WICKECHEOKE CREEK TRIB. | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 427 |
| CARNEGIE LAKE | New Jersey | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 13,599 |
| ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 12,678 |
| Morristown Line | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 9,130 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Good | 1905 | 121 | 25,617 |
| WEASEL BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 13,260 |
| PETERS BROOK | New Jersey | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 1,983 |
| MorristownLine(MP 20.03) | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 10,840 |
| MORRISTOWN LINE MP 20.34 | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 25,070 |
| Morristown L (MP 20.51) | New Jersey | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 11,650 |
| PINE RIDGE BROOK | New York | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 4 |
| MOHAWK RIVER | New York | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 234 |
| SUNFISH RUN CREEK | New York | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 16 |
| BRONX RIVER | New York | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 42,363 |
| METRO NORTH RR | New York | Good | 1905 | 121 | 22,926 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg 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.