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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONRAIL (ABANDONED) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 79,131 |
| COBBS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 6,335 |
| SEPTA | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 2,800 |
| PASCOAG RIVER | Rhode Island | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 3,600 |
| Inlet Canal | South Dakota | Good | 1906 | 120 | 1 |
| DUCK RIVER (OSFSP) | Tennessee | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 50 |
| INACTIVE NS RR SPUR | Tennessee | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 2,659 |
| GREEN CREEK | Texas | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 82 |
| MILL RIVER | Vermont | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 20 |
| DAKOTA CR TRIB | Washington | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 323 |
| Fish Creek | West Virginia | Poor | 1906 | 120 | 50 |
| Southern Pacific RR | Arizona | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| WAR EAGLE CREEK | Arkansas | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 540 |
| CHILES CREEK | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,600 |
| PLEASANTS CREEK | California | Good | 1907 | 119 | 500 |
| MILLER CANYON CREEK | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 817 |
| STEVENS CREEK | California | Good | 1907 | 119 | 49,000 |
| CARROLL CANAL | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,582 |
| LINNIE CANAL | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,582 |
| HOWLAND CANAL | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,582 |
| SHERMAN CANAL | California | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,582 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 41 |
| MAD RIVER | Connecticut | Good | 1907 | 119 | 3,500 |
| AMTRAK & CENTRAL NE RR | Connecticut | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 9,200 |
| METRO NORTH RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 408 |
| MIANUS RIVER | Connecticut | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 6,580 |
| METRO NORTH RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 3,865 |
| ROOSTER RIVER OVERFLOW | Connecticut | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 7,390 |
| ROCK CREEK & POTOMAC PKW | District of Columbia | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 28,000 |
| CSXT RAILROAD | District of Columbia | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 16,900 |
| WASHINGTON TERMINAL YARD | District of Columbia | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 24,000 |
| HORSE TRAIL | District of Columbia | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,800 |
| BURLINGTON NORTH R R | Illinois | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 775 |
| EMBARRAS RIVER | Illinois | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 100 |
| PELLA DRAINAGE DITCH | Illinois | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 25 |
| TRIB TO SUGAR CR | Illinois | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| BEEHUNTER DITCH | Indiana | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 360 |
| WHITE RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 35,555 |
| PLEASANT RUN | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1,275 |
| BIG RACCOON Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 232 |
| MILL Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 122 |
| Black River | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 138 |
| CONRAIL RR | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 290 |
| ST JOSEPH RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 15,416 |
| ST JOSEPH RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 24,491 |
| BUTLER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 1,027 |
| LITTLE SIOUX RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 26 |
| BOONE RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 40 |
| SOUTH BRANCH SALT CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 26 |
| KANSAS RIVER 3 RR 5 ST | Kansas | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 20,421 |
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.