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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRANCH OF MCKEE CRK | Illinois | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 50 |
| N SHORE CHANNEL | Illinois | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 1,300 |
| North Shore Channel | Illinois | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 4,400 |
| CHI MET SAN CANAL | Illinois | Good | 1908 | 118 | 4,550 |
| N SHORE CHANNEL | Illinois | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 11,400 |
| TRIB OF LA MOINE R | Illinois | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 75 |
| SHORT CREEK | Illinois | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 50 |
| GUM CR | Illinois | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 50 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 50 |
| LAWRENCE CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,178 |
| NORTH FORK OF SALT CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | — |
| CONRAIL RR | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 60 |
| TURKEY FORK | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 40 |
| EAST FORK BLUE CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 350 |
| ROCK Run Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 99 |
| ROCK Run Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 33 |
| CONRAIL RR | Indiana | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 130 |
| WILLOW POND DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 60 |
| BLUEGRASS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 856 |
| FORK OF LITTLE CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 477 |
| Dry Branch | Indiana | Good | 1908 | 118 | 10 |
| CANOE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 49 |
| LITTLE CEDAR RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 33 |
| SMALL DITCH | Iowa | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 180 |
| CEDAR CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 25 |
| TRIB. INDEPENDENCE CK. | Kansas | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 15 |
| EAST BRANCH WALNUT RIVER | Kansas | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 30 |
| BLACK VERMILLION RIVER | Kansas | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 10 |
| JUDD BAYOU | Louisiana | Fair | 1908 | 118 | — |
| STONY RUN | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 6,340 |
| SAMS CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 23 |
| MONOCACY RIVER | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 324 |
| MIDDLE CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 204 |
| PATUXENT RIVER | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 1,209 |
| GROVE CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 498 |
| WATER ALEWIFE BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 26,000 |
| WATER WILLARD BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 4,671 |
| WATER NEPONSET RIVER | Massachusetts | Good | 1908 | 118 | 11,900 |
| OTHER PEDESTRIAN WLKWY | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 6,300 |
| OTHER PEDESTRIAN WLKWY | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 7,900 |
| COMB WALNUT ST & MBTA | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 14,483 |
| RR MBTA | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 10,600 |
| WATER N NASHUA RIVER | Massachusetts | Good | 1908 | 118 | 3,800 |
| RR PWRR | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,104 |
| WATER MYSTIC RIVER | Massachusetts | Good | 1908 | 118 | 67,900 |
| WATER TOWN BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 8,357 |
| WATER WILLARD BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,342 |
| WATER WILLARD BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,342 |
| WATER WILLARD BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 2,342 |
| RR BMRR | Massachusetts | Poor | 1908 | 118 | 150 |
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.