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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG CREEK | Ohio | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 100 |
| East Fork of Mill Creek | Ohio | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 4,131 |
| BOKENGEHALAS CREEK | Ohio | Good | 1909 | 117 | 313 |
| LAUREL FORK RD (DRY RUN) | Ohio | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 86 |
| OKMULGEE CREEK | Oklahoma | Good | 1909 | 117 | 9,400 |
| CREEK | Oklahoma | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 50 |
| PRETTY CREEK | Oklahoma | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 25 |
| SNAKE CREEK | Oklahoma | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 288 |
| B-78 OVER BNRR | Oregon | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 13,910 |
| BNSF | Oregon | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 14,374 |
| BURLINGTON NORTHERN R&R | Oregon | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 10,361 |
| BURLINGTON NORTHERN R&R | Oregon | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 4,931 |
| SAW MILL RUN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 30 |
| POTTER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 174 |
| PERKIOMEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 1,723 |
| IRONSTONE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 100 |
| MILL RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1909 | 117 | 11,341 |
| PINEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 219 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 200 |
| POTTS RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 45 |
| CONODOGUINET CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 341 |
| SR 0230 AMTRAK NSRC | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 8,140 |
| COBBS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 12,715 |
| GEORGES CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 25 |
| FALLING SPRINGS CR | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 8,162 |
| SHANNON RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 40 |
| SPRUCE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 350 |
| MILL RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 50 |
| COCALICO CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 522 |
| NESHANNOCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 18,779 |
| TRIB. OF NESCOPECK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 25 |
| OVER CLARK RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1909 | 117 | 431 |
| Shenango River | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 3,024 |
| KISH. CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | — |
| SCIOTO CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 784 |
| E. BR. CHILLISQUAQUE CK. | Pennsylvania | Good | 1909 | 117 | 108 |
| BEAVER RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 376 |
| HOKENDAUQUA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 13,770 |
| SLATEFORD CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 2,941 |
| HOKENDAUQUA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 100 |
| MONOCACY CK RR CITY ST | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 4,000 |
| ZIMMERMAN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 50 |
| CARLEY BROOK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 372 |
| S BR CODORUS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 400 |
| TACONY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 78,114 |
| CONRAIL(BURIED) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 98,564 |
| CONRAIL(TRACKS REMOVED) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 83,001 |
| AMTRAK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1909 | 117 | 3,200 |
| Former Crse Frankford Cr | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 13,600 |
| Former Crse Frankford Cr | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1909 | 117 | 13,600 |
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.