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
BEAR Creek Indiana Fair 1910 116 120
OPOSSUM HOLLOW Indiana Fair 1910 116 120
BIG CEDAR CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 225
PIGEON CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 110
MISSISSINEWA RIVER Indiana Poor 1910 116 7,460
MISSISSINEWA RIVER Indiana Fair 1910 116 14,000
LITTLE DEER CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 150
EAST FORK HONEY CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 800
EAST FORK HONEY CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 175
LITTLE PIPE CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 141
MCMILLIAN DITCH Indiana Fair 1910 116 60
MUTTON CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 225
LITTLE MUTTON CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 225
FINCH BRANCH Indiana Poor 1910 116 125
BEAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 100
BEAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 100
TEA CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 100
BRANCH OF TEA CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 100
BRUSHY FORK Indiana Poor 1910 116 125
BRANCH OF SUGAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 20
MILLER DITCH Indiana Good 1910 116 130
TURKEY CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 250
PLEASANT RUN Indiana Fair 1910 116 2,114
BEAN CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 5,687
SEERLEY CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 15,130
BEAVER CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 63
FRIENDS CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 52
CLEAR CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 558
IROQUOIS RIVER Indiana Poor 1910 116 145
SULPHUR CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 100
LICK CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 100
MILL CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 10
MILL CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 500
CROYS CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 118
STRANGERS Branch Indiana Fair 1910 116 65
BIG RACCOON Creek Indiana Fair 1910 116 99
SUNDERLAND Branch Indiana Fair 1910 116 887
EAST FORK RUSH CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 507
Branch of SUGAR Creek Indiana Fair 1910 116 99
GRAND TRUNK & WESTERN RR Indiana Fair 1910 116 11,050
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116
OWL BRANCH CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 110
CONRAIL RR Indiana Poor 1910 116 130
ELKHORN CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 171
LITTLE WHITE RIVER Indiana Fair 1910 116 112
LAUGHERY CREEK Indiana Poor 1910 116 150
FLATROCK CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 150
THREE MILE CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 1,400
FLATROCK OVERFLOW Indiana Fair 1910 116 250
BEAVER MEADOW CREEK Indiana Fair 1910 116 150

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.