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
1ST BRANCH WHITE R. Vermont Good 1883 143 50
PATOKA RIVER Indiana Fair 1884 142 150
LITTLE BLUE RIVER Indiana Fair 1884 142 100
S FK BLUE RIVER Indiana Poor 1884 142 613
GUNPOWDER FALLS Maryland Fair 1884 142 300
OCTORARO CREEK Maryland Fair 1884 142 1,279
BASIN RUN Maryland Fair 1884 142 526
WATER MATFIELD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1884 142 2,716
TR GREEN LINE D Massachusetts Fair 1884 142 22,000
WATER CONCORD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1884 142 15,600
WATER MILL RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1884 142 28,060
RCRRA Minnesota Fair 1884 142 21,524
DELAWARE RIVER New Jersey Fair 1884 142 16,500
WAPPINGER CREEK New York Fair 1884 142 13,268
KAATERSKILL CREEK New York Poor 1884 142 279
LITTLE BEAVER CREEK Ohio Fair 1884 142 324
BIG WALNUT CREEK Ohio Poor 1884 142 78
BEAVER RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1884 142 6,523
YELLOW CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1884 142 45
RUMMERFIELD CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1884 142 50
PAUNNACUSSING CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1884 142 147
DELAWARE RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1884 142 13,200
OVER STONE RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1884 142 250
WISSAHICKON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1884 142 5,864
OVER OIL CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1884 142 77
PAWTUXET RIVER Rhode Island Poor 1884 142 2,425
SEWEE CREEK Tennessee Poor 1884 142 20
MEHERRIN RIVER Virginia Poor 1884 142 815
MILLIGAN CREEK West Virginia Fair 1884 142 155
BIG SANDY CREEK West Virginia Poor 1884 142 10
GANDEL CREEK Puerto Rico Poor 1884 142 9,400
FARMINGTON CANAL GREENWA Connecticut Fair 1885 141 4,400
TANKERHOOSEN RIVER Connecticut Good 1885 141 21
ST. JONES RIVER Delaware Fair 1885 141 11,547
SOUTH FORK BROAD RIVER Georgia Fair 1885 141 519
BAY CREEK Illinois Fair 1885 141 225
SUGAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 102
NINEVEH CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 143
BR FALL FORK CLIFTY CREE Indiana Fair 1885 141 130
HARVEY BRANCH SALT CREEK Indiana Poor 1885 141 350
BIG CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 100
PATOKA RIVER Indiana Poor 1885 141 100
BIG CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 250
LAUGHERY CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 225
OTTER CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 150
Little VERMILION River Indiana Fair 1885 141 233
LITTLE PIGEON CREEK Indiana Fair 1885 141 60
CSXT RAILROAD Maryland Poor 1885 141 109
CONOWINGO CREEK Maryland Fair 1885 141 136
CASSELMAN RIVER Maryland Poor 1885 141 130

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.