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
LAUGHING WHITEFISH RIVER Michigan Fair 1910 116 50
WISE CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 100
HAYWORTH CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 102
SPRING BROOK Michigan Fair 1910 116 1,130
SEBEWA CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 91
BASS LAKE DRAIN Michigan Poor 1910 116 72
S BR KALAMAZOO RIVER Michigan Fair 1910 116 2,189
W BR ST JOSEPH OF MAUMEE Michigan Fair 1910 116 42
E BR ST JOSEPH OF MAUMEE Michigan Poor 1910 116 22
MALLORY LAKE DRAIN Michigan Poor 1910 116 46
PINNEBOG RIVER Michigan Fair 1910 116 65
PIGEON RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116 465
WOLF CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 50
CHIPPEWA RIVER Michigan Fair 1910 116 2,352
CHIPPEWA RIVER CHANNEL Michigan Fair 1910 116 2,161
NORTH BR MANISTEE RIVER Michigan Poor 1910 116 19
BIG BEAR CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 10
JO DRAIN Michigan Fair 1910 116 2,318
NORTH MACON CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 30
DICKERSON CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 24
HANDY CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 120
N BRANCH WHITE RIVER Michigan Fair 1910 116 20
CEDAR CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 100
CEDAR CREEK Michigan Fair 1910 116 100
WHITMORE DRAIN Michigan Poor 1910 116 10
BIRCH RUN CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 7
SILVER CREEK Michigan Poor 1910 116 44
BEALS & FRIZZLE DRAIN Michigan Fair 1910 116 225
ST LOUIS RIVER Minnesota Fair 1910 116 3,474
CP RAIL Minnesota Poor 1910 116 30
STREAM Minnesota Poor 1910 116 25
STREAM Minnesota Fair 1910 116 400
STREAM Minnesota Fair 1910 116 86
STREAM Minnesota Fair 1910 116 297
DUSCHEE CREEK Minnesota Poor 1910 116 37
GLASS BAYOU Mississippi Fair 1910 116 638
KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN RR Mississippi Fair 1910 116 8,100
CANEY CR Missouri Good 1910 116 50
BLACKBERRY CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 25
WALNUT CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 200
WEST FK Missouri Fair 1910 116 230
CYPRESS CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 15
W FK OF GRAND RVR Missouri Poor 1910 116 50
HICKORY CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 30
LONG BR Missouri Poor 1910 116 15
BR OF CROOKED RVR Missouri Fair 1910 116 70
UNNAMED CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 5
TROUBLESOME CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 25
MESSNER BR OF SALT Missouri Poor 1910 116 15
E YELLOW CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 15

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.