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
Colorado River Arizona Fair 1914 112 5,430
Quachita River-Polk Co. Arkansas Poor 1914 112 220
EAST FORK SCOTT RIVER California Fair 1914 112 23
SPRING GULCH California Good 1914 112 9,800
GAY CREEK California Good 1914 112 2,001
MOORE CREEK California Poor 1914 112 1,922
SOUR GRASS CREEK California Fair 1914 112 1,922
RICE CREEK California Fair 1914 112 2,799
BRANNIN CREEK California Poor 1914 112 2,799
HALL CREEK California Fair 1914 112 3,348
SCHRAMM CREEK California Good 1914 112 3,348
BURCH CREEK California Fair 1914 112 3,800
JEWETT CREEK California Fair 1914 112 2,025
SPANISH CREEK California Fair 1914 112 140
LOGAN CREEK California Fair 1914 112 447
NORTH FORK LOGAN CREEK California Good 1914 112 460
CAMPBELL CREEK California Fair 1914 112 11,600
BUTTE CREEK California Poor 1914 112 122
GLENN VALLEY SLOUGH OFLO California Good 1914 112 1,298
RUSSIAN RIVER California Poor 1914 112 10,000
NATHANSON CREEK California Fair 1914 112 2,100
WEBER CREEK California Fair 1914 112 2,049
SAN ANDREAS CREEK California Fair 1914 112 1,443
CHINESE CREEK California Poor 1914 112 2,800
ALKALI CREEK California Fair 1914 112 16,000
CURTIS CREEK California Fair 1914 112 502
MILLS CREEK California Fair 1914 112 477
M.I.D. LATERAL #4 California Fair 1914 112 9,356
T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL California Poor 1914 112 473
DUCK SLOUGH California Fair 1914 112 384
DUCK SLOUGH OVERFLOW California Fair 1914 112 384
OWENS CREEK California Fair 1914 112 384
HARTNELL GULCH California Fair 1914 112 3,000
CORBETT CANYON CREEK California Good 1914 112 3,350
EAST BRANCH CANAL California Fair 1914 112 29,000
RUBIO WASH California Fair 1914 112 32,542
ARROYO SECO CHAN California Good 1914 112 3,570
Live Oak Cyn. Channel California Good 1914 112 204
WEST CUCAMONGA WASH California Good 1914 112 30,172
MIDDLE CHANNEL DAY WASH California Good 1914 112 47,000
SAN ANTONIO OVERFLOW California Good 1914 112 21,500
SAN ANTONIO OVERFLOW California Fair 1914 112 21,500
CUCAMONGA OVERFLOW California Fair 1914 112 31,500
BUENA VISTA CREEK California Fair 1914 112 19,173
UNIVERSITY AVE California Good 1914 112 2,179
NECK RIVER Connecticut Fair 1914 112 7,500
STEELE BROOK Connecticut Fair 1914 112 12,000
METRO NORTH RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1914 112 552
WILLIMANTIC RIVER Connecticut Poor 1914 112 800
LITTLE RIVER Connecticut Fair 1914 112 572

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.