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
OTTER CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 15
PILOT GROVE CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 20
TRIB N FK SPRING R Missouri Poor 1910 116 10
QUEENS BR Missouri Fair 1910 116 20
PILOT GROVE CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 25
POLECAT CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 40
BRUSHY CREEK Missouri Poor 1910 116 25
SUGAR CR Missouri Good 1910 116 120
CEDAR CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 5
FLAT CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 50
TRIB OF GRAND RVR Missouri Fair 1910 116 15
GILLUM CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 30
MID FK CHARITON RV Missouri Fair 1910 116 35
PUZZLE CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 20
WAKENDA CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 35
CROOKED CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 10
MILE CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 110
CROOKED CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 30
BATTS CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 35
FLAT CR Missouri Fair 1910 116 35
MISSISSIPPI RVR Missouri Fair 1910 116 10,000
PHILLIPS CR Missouri Poor 1910 116 3,854
IVES CREEK Nebraska Good 1910 116 5
E FK MAPLE CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 45
ELK CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
PIGEON CREEK Nebraska Fair 1910 116 30
STREAM Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
MUD CREEK Nebraska Fair 1910 116 50
BLOODY RUN Nebraska Fair 1910 116 25
DEER CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
MUDDY CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 25
S FK LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1910 116 25
N FK LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER Nebraska Fair 1910 116 15
WILSON CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
ROCK CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 5
JOHNSON CREEK Nebraska Fair 1910 116 20
N FK ELKHORN RIVER Nebraska Poor 1910 116 25
DRY CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 25
STREAM Nebraska Poor 1910 116 80
STREAM Nebraska Fair 1910 116 25
YANKTON SLOUGH Nebraska Good 1910 116 25
N FK ELKHORN RIVER Nebraska Fair 1910 116 30
BUFFALO CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 90
STREAM Nebraska Poor 1910 116 145
DUCK CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
WAHOO CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 10
COTTONWOOD CREEK Nebraska Poor 1910 116 20
SAND CREEK Nebraska Fair 1910 116 50
SILVER CREEK Nebraska Good 1910 116 105
BIG SANDY CREEK Nebraska Fair 1910 116 30

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.