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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE CATAWISSA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 2,016 |
| FLAUGHERTY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 4,706 |
| OVEN RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 111 |
| QUEMAHONING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 34 |
| BARRS RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 132 |
| PORTERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 50 |
| NFSRR | Pennsylvania | Good | 1914 | 112 | 474 |
| LITTLE MUDDY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 107 |
| CSX (LOW FREIGHT LINE) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 8,992 |
| CSX (LOW FREIGHT LINE) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 12,759 |
| AMTRAK (NE Corridor) | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 6,000 |
| TRIB TO LONG RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| TRIB TO MOUNTAIN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 500 |
| NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 400 |
| Perkins Run | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 300 |
| WARREN RIVER | Rhode Island | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 16,524 |
| BNSF RAILROAD | South Dakota | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 2,560 |
| REE CK | South Dakota | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| CSX RAILROAD | Tennessee | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 660 |
| BRANCH | Tennessee | Good | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| PINE CREEK | Tennessee | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| PINE CREEK | Tennessee | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| S.FK. CUMBERLAND RIVER | Tennessee | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| BEECH LOG CREEK | Tennessee | Good | 1914 | 112 | 1,210 |
| BRANCH | Tennessee | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 1,750 |
| MILLER CREEK | Texas | Good | 1914 | 112 | 6,222 |
| TRINITY RIVER | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 11,393 |
| OLD N THIRD ST | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 10,352 |
| WEST FORK TRINITY RIVER | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 4,053 |
| HOGPEN CREEK | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 18 |
| TRIBUTARY OF DEER CREEK | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 215 |
| Trib Little Tehuacana Cr | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 2,315 |
| BUFFALO BAYOU | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 14,649 |
| BUFFALO & WHITE OAK BYU | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 2,946 |
| BUFFALO BAYOU | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 6,162 |
| SAN ANTONIO RIVER | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 9,796 |
| LEON CREEK | Texas | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 286 |
| PRICE RIVER | Utah | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 19 |
| BEAR RIVER | Utah | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 38 |
| JONES BROOK | Vermont | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 80 |
| COBB BROOK | Vermont | Good | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| LEE RIVER | Vermont | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| STLAWRENCE ATLANTIC RR | Vermont | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 30 |
| BRIDGEWATER BROOK | Vermont | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| WHETSTONE BROOK | Vermont | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 15,500 |
| WARE CREEK | Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 323 |
| BEAVERDAM CREEK | Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 665 |
| Battle Run | Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 21 |
| Rush River | Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 59 |
| DRY WASH | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 46 |
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.