Historic Bridges

94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,381 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
N. BR. OF LAMOILLE RIVER Vermont Fair 1877 149 100
N BR LAMOILLE RIVER Vermont Fair 1877 149 100
CUYON RIVER Puerto Rico Poor 1877 149 2,700
CUYON RIVER Puerto Rico Fair 1877 149 2,700
DRAINAGE SWALE Indiana Good 1878 148 5
BR DES MOINES RIVER Iowa Poor 1878 148 21
CATOCTIN CREEK Maryland Poor 1878 148 390
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Good 1878 148 7,950
LOCKATONG CREEK New Jersey Good 1878 148 212
MILE RUN BROOK New Jersey Fair 1878 148 20,708
W.BRANCH TIOUGHNIOGA RIV New York Poor 1878 148 158
W. BRANCH TIOUGHNIOGA RI New York Poor 1878 148 322
AUSABLE RIVER New York Poor 1878 148 30
STONELICK CREEK Ohio Good 1878 148 575
SANDUSKY RIVER Ohio Good 1878 148 83
LICKING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1878 148 50
W BR OCTORARO CRK Pennsylvania Fair 1878 148 340
CONESTOGA RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1878 148 165
PEQUEA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1878 148 340
STONY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1878 148 27,202
Rappahannock River Virginia Fair 1878 148 839
BRANCH OF TANNERS CREEK Indiana Fair 1879 147 30
WAPSIPINICON RIVER Iowa Poor 1879 147 140
CARROLL BRANCH Maryland Fair 1879 147 2,534
TOWSON RUN Maryland Fair 1879 147 896
C&O CANAL Maryland Fair 1879 147 200
WATER SHAWSHEEN RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1879 147 30,905
BLKWD CVD BRG PRATT FORK Ohio Poor 1879 147 209
WEST FORK OF EAGLE CREEK Ohio Fair 1879 147 148
WEST FORK LITTLE BEAVER Ohio Good 1879 147
LITTLE MUSKINGUM RIVER Ohio Poor 1879 147 209
TOWN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1879 147 100
PICKERING CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1879 147 719
1ST BRANCH WHITE R. Vermont Fair 1879 147 50
MAD RIVER Vermont Fair 1879 147 770
SCANTIC RIVER Connecticut Fair 1880 146 5,200
BEAN BLOSSOM CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 50
SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 30
LICK CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 600
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Poor 1880 146 1,400
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Good 1880 146
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Poor 1880 146 230
RACCOON CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 350
LITTLE OTTER CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 150
RIPLEY CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 350
BRUSH CREEK Indiana Fair 1880 146 145
UPPER IOWA RIVER Iowa Poor 1880 146 26
SAND LICK CREEK Kentucky Fair 1880 146 97
CATOCTIN CREEK Maryland Fair 1880 146 136
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1880 146 7,170

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
Virgin Islands 5 1904 112 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.