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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATER W BR MILL RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,365 |
| TRENTON CHANNEL | Michigan | Fair | 1913 | 113 | — |
| CANOE STREAM | Michigan | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 150 |
| GULL LAKE RES. | Minnesota | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 450 |
| ELM CREEK | Minnesota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 16 |
| TCW RR | Minnesota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 736 |
| MIDTOWN GREENWAY | Minnesota | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,688 |
| MIDTOWN GREENWAY | Minnesota | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,680 |
| MIDTOWN GREENWAY | Minnesota | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,074 |
| MIDTOWN GREENWAY | Minnesota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 3,300 |
| WHITE SAND CREEK | Mississippi | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 109 |
| UP RR | Missouri | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10,200 |
| UP RR | Missouri | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 4,060 |
| CORRY BR | Missouri | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 15 |
| W YELLOW CR | Missouri | Good | 1913 | 113 | 20 |
| CLIFTON CR | Missouri | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10 |
| LAMINE RVR | Missouri | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 20 |
| CROOKED RVR | Missouri | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 35 |
| RED ROCK RIVER 121 | Montana | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 4 |
| ELBOW CREEK 036 | Montana | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| BLUEWATER CREEK 001 | Montana | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 175 |
| PRAIRIE DOG CREEK | Nebraska | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 10 |
| STREAM | Nebraska | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 45 |
| NIOBRARA RIVER | Nebraska | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10 |
| PISCATAQUA R BACK CHAN | New Hampshire | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 7,000 |
| NJT MAIN LINE | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 14,960 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10,820 |
| Del-Raritan St Prk Trail | New Jersey | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 6,876 |
| TOMS RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 17,033 |
| PECKMAN RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 14,684 |
| Stony Brook | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,505 |
| RAHWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,166 |
| BEAVER BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 651 |
| WASHINGTON SEC (NS) | New Jersey | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 9,195 |
| MILL CREEK | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 11,108 |
| GREEN BROOK | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 358 |
| WHITNEY CREEK | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 6,034 |
| FROG HOLLOW BROOK | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 5,014 |
| HIGHLAND BROOK | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 3,536 |
| MNRR HARLEM LINE Bronx | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 11,164 |
| LIRR PORT WASH BR | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 6,382 |
| LIRR PORT WASH BR. | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 8,202 |
| LIRR PORT WASH BR LINE | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,970 |
| LONG ISLAND-PW BR | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 4,311 |
| BLACK ROCK CANAL | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 849 |
| LONG ISLAND-MK BR | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 878 |
| LIRR-MONTAUK BRCH | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 15,839 |
| E BR TIOUGHNIOGA | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 150 |
| INDIAN RIVER | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 319 |
| MOHAWK RIVER CANAL WHAR | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 962 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg 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.