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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMAL RIVER | Texas | Good | 1905 | 121 | 2,808 |
| SPRING CANYON WASH | Utah | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 32 |
| BLACK RIVER | Vermont | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 720 |
| Ohio River | West Virginia | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 7,500 |
| PYLES FORK | West Virginia | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 200 |
| BUCKHANNON RIVER | West Virginia | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 25 |
| POND CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 10 |
| YAHARA RIVER | Wisconsin | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 16,800 |
| LA CUCHILLA CREEK | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 11,800 |
| ARENAS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 5,700 |
| GRANDE DE MANATI RIVER | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1905 | 121 | 2,000 |
| GRANDE DE CARITE RIVER | Puerto Rico | Poor | 1905 | 121 | 400 |
| BUMPASS CREEK | Alabama | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 210 |
| COAL CREEK | Alabama | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 106 |
| LITTLE CHICO CREEK | California | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 613 |
| SANDY GULCH | California | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 325 |
| SANTA ROSA CREEK | California | Good | 1906 | 120 | 8,600 |
| RTE 10 CONN BUSWAY | California | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 15,000 |
| TEXAS CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,800 |
| FOUNTAIN CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,195 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 2,325 |
| CONNECTICUT RIVER | Connecticut | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 135,200 |
| AMTRAK RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 3,600 |
| METRO NORTH RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 3,092 |
| MAD RIVER | Connecticut | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 6,000 |
| AMTRAK RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 2,287 |
| BRANDYWINE CREEK&FLUME | Delaware | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 99 |
| PINEY BRANCH PARKWAY | District of Columbia | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 37,000 |
| ATLANTA BELTLINE | Georgia | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 11,600 |
| ATLANTA BELTLINE | Georgia | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 28,500 |
| SYLVAN SLOUGH | Illinois | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 8,900 |
| S BR CHICAGO RIV | Illinois | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 9,100 |
| BRONSON CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 25 |
| THE BLUFF CANAL | Illinois | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 75 |
| WABASH RIVER | Illinois | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 500 |
| WABASH RIVER | Illinois | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 500 |
| PED. & BIKE PATH | Illinois | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 2,750 |
| WABASH RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 750 |
| EAST FORK SCHOEN CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,451 |
| INDPLS WATER CO CANAL | Indiana | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 3,200 |
| CSX RR | Indiana | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 170 |
| SUGAR MILL Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 70 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 120 |
| ST JOSEPH RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 10,736 |
| LOCUST CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 1,906 |
| CEDAR RIVER | Iowa | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,629 |
| JACK CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 11 |
| PRAIRIE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 110 |
| TRIB. TO TIMBER CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 50 |
| Trib Prairie Dog Creek | Kansas | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 25 |
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.