Historic Bridges

94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,381 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
LEBOEUF CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1875 151
PEQUEA CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1875 151 1,200
SLIPPERY ROCK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1875 151 150
EAST FORK Tennessee Fair 1875 151 20
TROUT RIVER Vermont Fair 1875 151 10
S FORK PATOKA RIVER Indiana Poor 1876 150 15
SKUNK RIVER Iowa Poor 1876 150 11
KENDUSKEAG STREAM Maine Fair 1876 150 72
TOMS CREEK Maryland Fair 1876 150 470
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1876 150 5,700
RR AMTRAK/MBTA Massachusetts Good 1876 150 2,072
HURON RIVER Michigan Fair 1876 150 1,963
ELLIS RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1876 150 2,280
SWAN CREEK New Jersey Fair 1876 150 4,456
MILL CREEK Ohio Good 1876 150 199
SUNDAY CK Ohio Fair 1876 150 96
MIDDLE FORK LITTLE BEAVE Ohio Fair 1876 150 50
GREAT MIAMI RIVER Ohio Fair 1876 150 194
ALUM CREEK Ohio Poor 1876 150 184
Cuyahoga River & CSXT RR Ohio Poor 1876 150 12,977
TOHICKON CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 150
ROARING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 50
LITTLE FISHING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 50
LITTLE FISHING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 50
BACK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1876 150 100
MILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 50
JORDAN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 727
S. BR. of ROARING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 250
WALLENPAUPACK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1876 150 1,158
Abandoned Park Trolley Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 12,500
Parkside Avenue Ext. Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 16,000
Abandoned Park Trolley Pennsylvania Fair 1876 150 900
PATOKA RIVER Indiana Poor 1877 149
MISSISSINEWA RIVER Indiana Fair 1877 149 240
FLATROCK RIVER Indiana Poor 1877 149 150
EEL RIVER Indiana Poor 1877 149 100
WATER CONCORD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1877 149 6,607
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1877 149 14,300
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1877 149 16,601
BEEBE RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1877 149 96
BLOW-ME-DOWN BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1877 149 19
ABND.RR.TUNNEL(NO TRS) Ohio Poor 1877 149 3,326
E FORK LITTLE MIAMI RIVE Ohio Fair 1877 149 385
COLD RUN CREEK Ohio Fair 1877 149 92
PENNSYLVANIA CANAL Pennsylvania Fair 1877 149 129
GALLOWS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1877 149 50
EAST BR.BRANDYWINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1877 149 546
LARRYS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1877 149 10
BENS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1877 149 50
SEEKONK RVR TAFT S Rhode Island Fair 1877 149 14,948

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
Virgin Islands 5 1904 112 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.