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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERIE BARGE CANAL | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| SENECA RIVER | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 105 |
| ERIE CANAL | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 4,734 |
| ERIE CANAL | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 2,058 |
| ERIE CANAL | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 512 |
| ERIE CANAL | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,227 |
| MNRR HU LINE Irvington | New York | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,730 |
| MNRR HU LINE | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | — |
| WESTERLY ROAD WAY MNRR | New York | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 836 |
| TURTLE RIVER | North Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 40 |
| SHEYENNE RIVER | North Dakota | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 5 |
| BEAVER CREEK | North Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10 |
| CREEK | North Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 5 |
| GRAND RIVER | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 96 |
| BACKBONE CREEK | Ohio | Good | 1913 | 113 | 983 |
| STONELICK CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 637 |
| WEST BR ROCKY RIVER | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,807 |
| LITTLE WALNUT CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 351 |
| UNNAMED STREAM | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 324 |
| US 36 OVER BIKE PATH | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 5,338 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 4,879 |
| AN E TRIBUTARY OF MILL C | Ohio | Good | 1913 | 113 | 300 |
| LITTLE OLIVE GREEN CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 51 |
| LITTLE OLIVE GREEN CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 209 |
| FOUR MILE RUN | Ohio | Good | 1913 | 113 | 66 |
| MUSKINGUM RIVER | Ohio | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 8,919 |
| AUKERMAN CREEK | Ohio | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 70 |
| CLEARFORK RIVER | Ohio | Good | 1913 | 113 | 351 |
| TUSCARAWAS RIVER | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 5,755 |
| BUCKHORN CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 376 |
| SANDUSKY RIVER | Ohio | Good | 1913 | 113 | 369 |
| CREEK | Oklahoma | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 25 |
| Willamette River | Oregon | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 12,687 |
| BROADWAY ST CONN | Oregon | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 30,388 |
| MILL CREEK | Oregon | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,921 |
| MILL CREEK | Oregon | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 13,876 |
| N-S RR PAT EAST BUSWAY | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 17,746 |
| MAHONING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 15 |
| BEAR CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 75 |
| WEST SWAMP CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,407 |
| SCH.RIVER;STREETS;NOR/FO | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 25,917 |
| TULPEHOCKEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 375 |
| HOSPITAL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 250 |
| HOSPITAL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 250 |
| BIG FILL RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,645 |
| CALIFORNIA RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,645 |
| SOUTH DRY RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 1,634 |
| SOUTH POPLAR RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,392 |
| LITTLE BUFFALO RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| SANDSPRING RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 512 |
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.