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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCKY COULEE | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 71 |
| TOUCHET RIVER | Washington | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 100 |
| ROCKY COULEE | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 50 |
| COW CREEK | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 50 |
| DRY RELIEF | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 50 |
| ROCKY COULEE | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 14 |
| ROCK CREEK | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | — |
| DRY CREEK | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 35 |
| GREEN RIVER | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 350 |
| SOUTH FORK PALOUSE RIVER | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 3 |
| DRY CREEK | Washington | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 29 |
| PECKS RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 30 |
| MIDDLE FORK RIVER | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| LAUREL RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 250 |
| STEWART RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 3,200 |
| ELK CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 30 |
| ELK CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 30 |
| Pierce Run | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 90 |
| ROBINSON FORK | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 650 |
| MEATHOUSE FORK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| DOE RUN | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 100 |
| GRASSLICK CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 600 |
| LEADING CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| STONECOAL CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 150 |
| FLAT RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 1,000 |
| SECOND CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 498 |
| SOUTH FORK SLEEPY CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| Longs Run | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 150 |
| FIVE & TWENTYMILE CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 500 |
| MYERS FORK OF GOOSE CK. | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 100 |
| NORTH FORK HUGHES RIVER | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 150 |
| SAND RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 10 |
| SAND RUN | West Virginia | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 50 |
| RT FK OF MIDDLE FK RIVER | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 20 |
| South Fork Fishing Creek | West Virginia | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 60 |
| MOOSE EAR CREEK | Wisconsin | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 200 |
| KOSHKONONG CREEK | Wisconsin | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 1,500 |
| SCHOOLHOUSE CREEK | Wisconsin | Good | 1914 | 112 | 159 |
| EMBARRASS RIVER | Wisconsin | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 120 |
| BR HEMLOCK CREEK | Wisconsin | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 480 |
| North Piney Creek | Wyoming | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 32 |
| MENDOZA CREEK | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1914 | 112 | 7,300 |
| MOROVIS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 7,200 |
| MOROVIS RIVER | Puerto Rico | Poor | 1914 | 112 | 7,200 |
| TRIB TO CEDAR CREEK | Alabama | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 25 |
| MILL CREEK | Alabama | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 125 |
| MORRIS AVE * RR | Alabama | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 13,000 |
| MORRIS AVE * RR | Alabama | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 14,000 |
| TOWN BRANCH | Alabama | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 250 |
| SHOAL CREEK | Alabama | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 2,123 |
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.