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
MID FORK BEARGRASS CREEK Kentucky Fair 1910 116 1,269
GOOSE CREEK Kentucky Fair 1910 116 2,125
MARSHYHOPE CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 5,080
NORTHWEST BRANCH Maryland Fair 1910 116 21,112
BROWNS BRANCH Maryland Fair 1910 116 11,114
GRANNY FINLEY BRANCH Maryland Fair 1910 116 6,761
BUSH CABIN RUN Maryland Fair 1910 116 275
TOWSON RUN Maryland Fair 1910 116 2,373
NORTH BRANCH JONES FALLS Maryland Fair 1910 116 3,208
CSX Maryland Fair 1910 116 1,219
SPRING GARDENS Maryland Fair 1910 116 56,772
PINEY CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 236
MASON BRANCH Maryland Good 1910 116 1,329
MONOCACY RIVER Maryland Fair 1910 116 207
FRIENDS CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 123
DRY SENECA CREEK Maryland Good 1910 116 150
ROCK CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 3,813
REDDY BRANCH Maryland Fair 1910 116 743
LITTLE ANTIETAM CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 315
LITTLE ANTIETAM CREEK Maryland Fair 1910 116 233
CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL Maryland Fair 1910 116 16,435
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 27,554
WATER SALISBURY PLAIN R Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 21,500
WATER E BR NEPONSET RIV Massachusetts Poor 1910 116 905
WATER W BR WESTFIELD RIV Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 388
PRIEST BROOK Massachusetts Good 1910 116 2
WATER SHINGLE ISL RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 1,214
WATER MILLERS RIVER Massachusetts Good 1910 116 33
WATER N NASHUA RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 8,858
WATER GREEN RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 5,200
WATER ASSABET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 3,900
WATER SAWMILL RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 650
RR BMRR Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 2,285
WATER RIVER MEADOW BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 10,969
WATER WESTERN CANAL Massachusetts Poor 1910 116 3,500
WATER WADING RIVER Massachusetts Poor 1910 116 4,714
RR CSX Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 1,300
WATER POCKSHA POND Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 714
WATER QUABOAG RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 13,981
WATER NASHUA RIVER TRIB Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 13,807
RR MBTA/BMRR Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 14,800
RR BMRR SPUR Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 5,825
WATER QUINEBAUG RIVER Massachusetts Good 1910 116 13,925
WATER STILLWATER RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 300
RR CSX Massachusetts Good 1910 116 387
WATER BEAVER BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1910 116 32,720
AU TRAIN RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116
WHITEFISH RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116 5
WHITEFISH RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116 5
WHITEFISH RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116 50

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.