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
TOWN BRANCH CREEK Illinois Good 1909 117 325
STREAM Illinois Fair 1909 117 3,250
EI RR Illinois Poor 1909 117 250
N BR CHICAGO RIV Illinois Poor 1909 117 6,350
N.BRANCH CHGO RIVER Illinois Fair 1909 117 1,475
SANITARY&SHIP CANAL Illinois Poor 1909 117 22,000
POPLAR CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 3,000
N SHORE CHANNEL Illinois Fair 1909 117 7,600
N SHORE CHANNEL Illinois Fair 1909 117 2,300
N SHORE CHANNEL Illinois Fair 1909 117 400
CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 800
CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 425
CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 100
SUGAR CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 150
NO BUSINESS CREEK Illinois Good 1909 117 50
TRIB BIG CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 50
CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 50
NO BUSINESS CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 25
N FK EMBARRAS RIVER Illinois Poor 1909 117 50
CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 75
TRIB SUGAR CREEK Illinois Good 1909 117 500
CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 1,050
CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 2,200
CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 650
STREAM Illinois Poor 1909 117 1,000
STINKING CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 400
VILLAGE CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 75
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Poor 1909 117 25
BUTTER CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 200
STINKING CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 25
VILLAGE CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 50
STREAM Illinois Fair 1909 117 2,650
SECOND CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 300
LITTLE MOCCASIN CK Illinois Fair 1909 117 125
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Poor 1909 117 25
WOLF CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 75
WOLF CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 50
SECOND CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 25
BROCKETT CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 100
MORRIS CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 100
SALT CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 250
CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 35
SECOND CREEK Illinois Poor 1909 117 50
DIETERICH CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 50
SECOND CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 50
DIETRICH CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 75
BISHOP CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 150
FULFER CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 100
BRUSH CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 250
LITTLE BISHOP CREEK Illinois Fair 1909 117 100

Historic Bridges by State

States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.

StateHistoric BridgesOldest YearAvg 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.