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
NAPA RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1910 116 2,600
DUTCH HENRY CREEK California Good 1910 116 484
S FK STANISLAUS RIVER California Fair 1910 116 275
SAN MATEO CREEK California Good 1910 116 8,530
PILARCITOS CREEK California Poor 1910 116 42
LOS GATOS CREEK California Fair 1910 116 20,350
SARATOGA CREEK California Good 1910 116 10,769
ORESTIMBA CREEK California Fair 1910 116 122
DEADMAN CREEK California Good 1910 116 85
FANCHER CREEK CANAL California Fair 1910 116 12,102
LITTLE CHOLAME CREEK California Fair 1910 116 160
ESTRELLA RIVER California Good 1910 116 100
METRO California Good 1910 116 4,284
LOS ANGELES RIVER California Good 1910 116 30,000
RUBIO WASH California Good 1910 116 32,400
ARKANSAS RIVER Colorado Fair 1910 116
HUERFANO RIVER Colorado Fair 1910 116 13
ROAD CANYON CREEK Colorado Fair 1910 116 18
ANIMAS RIVER Colorado Fair 1910 116 28,000
YELLOW MILL CHANNEL Connecticut Good 1910 116 20,200
INDIAN HOLE BROOK Connecticut Fair 1910 116 700
ASH CREEK Connecticut Fair 1910 116 10,100
WEST RIVER & PARK ROAD Connecticut Fair 1910 116 3,100
METRO-NORTH RAILROAD Connecticut Good 1910 116 1,102
FARMINGTON CANAL GREENWA Connecticut Good 1910 116 6,400
FIVE MILE RIVER Connecticut Poor 1910 116 5,120
AMTRAK RAILROAD Connecticut Poor 1910 116 1,200
WEST RIVER Connecticut Poor 1910 116 5,500
BIGELOW BROOK Connecticut Poor 1910 116 55
HOP RIVER Connecticut Fair 1910 116 769
STONY BROOK Connecticut Fair 1910 116 2,542
CONN VALLEY RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1910 116 1,274
HARBOR BROOK Connecticut Good 1910 116 807
BANTAM RIVER Connecticut Fair 1910 116 380
AMTRAK RAILROAD Connecticut Poor 1910 116 545
ROARING BROOK Connecticut Fair 1910 116 1,500
HOUSATONIC RR Connecticut Fair 1910 116 4,780
GULF STREAM Connecticut Fair 1910 116 520
NICKEL MINE BROOK Connecticut Fair 1910 116 390
NORWALK RIVER Connecticut Poor 1910 116
SHELLPOT CREEK Delaware Fair 1910 116 9,580
RECORDS POND Delaware Good 1910 116 99
WHIDDEN CREEK Florida Good 1910 116 372
ROCK CREEK Georgia Poor 1910 116 3,980
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER Georgia Fair 1910 116 4,010
ESOM SLOUGH Georgia Fair 1910 116 210
Waihohonu Stream Hawaii Fair 1910 116 8,388
HAHALAWE STRM Hawaii Fair 1910 116 649
KAKIWEKA STRM Hawaii Good 1910 116 450
WAILELE STRM Hawaii Fair 1910 116 450

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.