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
CENTER BRANCH Ohio Fair 1914 112 596
REBERT PK & BR MUD RUN Ohio Good 1914 112 1,109
NO NAME Ohio Good 1914 112 209
N FORK LITTLE BEAVER CRK Ohio Fair 1914 112 70
CONRAIL RR Ohio Fair 1914 112 5,223
SHAKER RAPID - RTA 121 Ohio Good 1914 112 1,715
NS & GCRTA MAINT YARD Ohio Fair 1914 112 9,363
CSX RR Ohio Good 1914 112 3,146
S. FORK RATTLESNAKE CREE Ohio Good 1914 112 324
RATTLESNAKE CREEK Ohio Fair 1914 112 324
DUNLAP DITCH Ohio Poor 1914 112 324
REELHORN RUN Ohio Fair 1914 112 324
SAND FORK CREEK Ohio Fair 1914 112 204
MAUMEE RIVER AND WATER S Ohio Fair 1914 112 18,850
LITTLE OLIVE GREEN CREEL Ohio Fair 1914 112 209
SYMMES CREEK Ohio Good 1914 112 109
SANDUSKY RIVER "CLOSED" Ohio Poor 1914 112
WILLOW CREEK Ohio Fair 1914 112 1,701
WILLOW CREEK Ohio Poor 1914 112 1,701
HESS DITCH Ohio Fair 1914 112 5,617
MILL CREEK Ohio Poor 1914 112 209
BIG STILLWATER CREEK Ohio Fair 1914 112 209
BIG DARBY Ohio Poor 1914 112 474
COW RUN * PEAVY# Ohio Fair 1914 112 18
CROWS NEST CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
WEST BEAVER CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 24
ROBINSON CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
QUAPAW CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
KICKAPOO CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
ROBINSON CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 100
BLACK BEAR CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1914 112 24
CAVE SPRINGS TRIB. Oklahoma Fair 1914 112 100
MILL RACE CANAL Oregon Fair 1914 112 4,899
Bridal Veil Falls Oregon Fair 1914 112 1,107
Viaduct Oregon Poor 1914 112 901
Viaduct Oregon Fair 1914 112 901
EAGLE CREEK Oregon Fair 1914 112 85
West Beaver Creek Oregon Fair 1914 112 5,017
CORP OR 273 (Hwy 273) Oregon Fair 1914 112 196
CORP Oregon Fair 1914 112 196
Latouraell Creel Oregon Fair 1914 112 878
Shepperds Dell Oregon Fair 1914 112 815
Multnomah Creek Oregon Fair 1914 112 901
Horsetail Falls Oregon Fair 1914 112 901
WAGNER CR./TALENT AVE. Oregon Fair 1914 112 3,649
SANDY RIVER Oregon Poor 1914 112 6,445
COUCH LATERAL Oregon Good 1914 112 263
B-41 SEMI-VIADUCT Oregon Fair 1914 112 8,888
BEAR CREEK Oregon Fair 1914 112 5

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.