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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVER ROARING BRANCH | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 164 |
| TOWAMENCIN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1907 | 119 | 811 |
| PARK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 7,612 |
| MUD CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 1 |
| JACOBY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 2,297 |
| OSWAYO CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| BEAVER DAM CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 25 |
| OVER WNYP R.R. | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| OVER PINE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| BRANCH OF PETERS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 11,534 |
| Little Daniels Run | Pennsylvania | Good | 1907 | 119 | 50 |
| YOUGHIOGHENY RIVER | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 6,557 |
| OTTER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 333 |
| WISSAHICKON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 18,036 |
| CONRAIL (Abolished) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 6,700 |
| CONRAIL | Pennsylvania | Good | 1907 | 119 | 6,300 |
| Pennypack Creek | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 10,000 |
| PINE RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1907 | 119 | 431 |
| CONEMAUGH RIVER | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 30 |
| ASHAWAY RIVER | Rhode Island | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 653 |
| BRANCH RIVER | Rhode Island | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 5,454 |
| AMTRAK & P&W RR | Rhode Island | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 25,343 |
| Crow Creek Wasteway | South Dakota | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 1 |
| BIG SIOUX RV | South Dakota | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 92 |
| W CLINCH AVE/WORLD FAIR | Tennessee | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 3,063 |
| HARDWARE RIVER | Virginia | Good | 1907 | 119 | 174 |
| NS RAILWAY | Virginia | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 5,275 |
| WENATCHEE RIVER | Washington | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 363 |
| SOUTH FORK HUGHES RIVER | West Virginia | Poor | 1907 | 119 | — |
| W. FK OF TWELVEPOLE CK. | West Virginia | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 10 |
| E BR BIG SANDY CREEK | Wisconsin | Fair | 1907 | 119 | 24 |
| BR APPLE CREEK | Wisconsin | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 94 |
| HATTON CREEK | Wisconsin | Good | 1907 | 119 | 51 |
| LITTLE COSSATOT RIVER | Arkansas | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 25 |
| MID FK FEATHER RIV OVRFL | California | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 40 |
| SAINT HELENA CREEK | California | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 114 |
| MILLIKEN CREEK | California | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 3,000 |
| SULPHUR CREEK | California | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,790 |
| ROSS CREEK | California | Good | 1908 | 118 | 1,200 |
| CHOLLAS CREEK | California | Good | 1908 | 118 | 7,578 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Poor | 1908 | 118 | — |
| OAK CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 139 |
| MILL RIVER | Connecticut | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 4,100 |
| YANTIC RIVER | Connecticut | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 465 |
| CSX RR & VA AVE | District of Columbia | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 4,000 |
| TIDAL BASIN | District of Columbia | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 13,383 |
| MOKULEHUA STRM | Hawaii | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 1,800 |
| WILDHORSE RIVER | Idaho | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 30 |
| POTLATCH RVR(SPERRY BR) | Idaho | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 170 |
| ST. JOE RIVER | Idaho | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 40 |
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.