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
ELLICOTT CREEK New York Fair 1882 144 29,825
GRASSE RIVER New York Good 1882 144 3,405
ONESQUETHAW CREEK New York Fair 1882 144 123
LITTLE BEAVER CREEK Ohio Fair 1882 144 305
LAMEREAUX/W BR HRN RVR Ohio Fair 1882 144 209
MIAMI RIVER Ohio Poor 1882 144 816
NORFOLK/SOUTHERN RR Pennsylvania Poor 1882 144 13,104
COOKS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1882 144 250
WHEELING CREEK TRIB Pennsylvania Fair 1882 144 30
SAUGATUCKET RIVER Rhode Island Fair 1882 144 3,449
P&W RR Rhode Island Poor 1882 144 1,111
NS RAILWAY Virginia Good 1882 144 2,769
LINEA CREEK Puerto Rico Poor 1882 144 35,600
ST JOSEPH RIVER Indiana Poor 1883 143 200
REBECCA KNIGHT DRAIN Indiana Poor 1883 143 175
PLUMMER CREEK Indiana Fair 1883 143 106
EEL RIVER Indiana Fair 1883 143 100
LEATHERWOOD Creek Indiana Poor 1883 143 103
FLAT CREEK Indiana Fair 1883 143 82
DEER CREEK Maryland Poor 1883 143 70
RR AMTRAK/MBTA Massachusetts Poor 1883 143 24,000
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1883 143 1,550
WATER MERRIMACK RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1883 143 8,534
WATER MERRIMACK RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1883 143 26,000
MILL BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1883 143 92
COCHECO RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1883 143 14,115
WAWAYANDA CREEK New York Fair 1883 143 8,153
QUASSAICK CREEK New York Poor 1883 143 4,507
I278 FDR Drive FDR Dri New York Poor 1883 143 110,939
SUGAR CREEK MARK RD Ohio Fair 1883 143 351
CAESARS CREEK Ohio Good 1883 143 12
PLUM CREEK Ohio Fair 1883 143 7,627
FLAT RUN Ohio Poor 1883 143 100
MONONGAHELA RIVER CSX RR Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 7,417
MONTOUR RUN Pennsylvania Good 1883 143 5,321
DUNNING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 100
MAIDEN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1883 143 868
E. BR. PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 250
Abandoned Canal Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 4,000
CLEARFIELD CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1883 143
LICKING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 100
LITTLE CHIQUES CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1883 143 465
PENNYPACK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1883 143 3,280
SEPTA (Chestnut Hill W.) Pennsylvania Good 1883 143 6,500
SEPTA Pennsylvania Good 1883 143 6,880
SEPTA (Chestnut Hill E.) Pennsylvania Good 1883 143 1,100
WEST HILL BROOK Vermont Fair 1883 143 30
SO. BR. TROUT RIVER Vermont Fair 1883 143 40
TROUT RIVER Vermont Good 1883 143 50
FIRST BRANCH WHITE R. Vermont Fair 1883 143 40

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.