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
VILLAGE CK Alabama Poor 1915 111 700
VILLAGE CK Alabama Fair 1915 111 5,500
VILLAGE CK Alabama Fair 1915 111 2,500
Socapatoy Creek Alabama Poor 1915 111 25
SHADES CREEK Alabama Fair 1915 111 2,730
TALLAHATCHEE CREEK Alabama Fair 1915 111 186
HURRICANE CREEK Alabama Fair 1915 111 125
Emuckfaw Creek Alabama Fair 1915 111 50
RAILROAD @ WALNUT STREET Alabama Poor 1915 111 1,000
MOENKOPI WASH Arizona Poor 1915 111 50
Soap Box Canyon Arizona Poor 1915 111 800
Walnut Creek Arizona Fair 1915 111 140
Chase Creek Arizona Fair 1915 111 358
Buffalo Creek - Polk Co. Arkansas Poor 1915 111 300
Orten Creek-Scott Co. Arkansas Fair 1915 111 69
Big Fork Creek-Polk Co. Arkansas Poor 1915 111 70
HUTTON CREEK California Fair 1915 111 25
SACRAMENTO RIVER California Fair 1915 111 320
STRONGS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 4,924
SHOTGUN CREEK California Fair 1915 111 10
PAYNES CREEK SLOUGH California Poor 1915 111 1,373
SAMSON SLOUGH California Poor 1915 111 1,837
THEMPER DITCH California Fair 1915 111 4,152
WILLOW CREEK California Fair 1915 111 2,678
WILLOW CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1915 111 2,678
WILSON CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1915 111 2,678
EAST FORK WILSON CREEK California Fair 1915 111 2,678
CROSS DRAIN California Good 1915 111 11,600
CROSS DRAIN California Good 1915 111 11,600
NELSON SLOUGH California Good 1915 111 1,254
LOST SLOUGH California Good 1915 111 1,380
MIDDLE FORK HAMLIN SLU California Fair 1915 111 1,254
OSTAP ARCH California Fair 1915 111 5,462
POWELL SLOUGH California Good 1915 111 6,400
STONE CORRAL CREEK OVFL California Fair 1915 111 1,976
FUNKS CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1915 111 642
SYCAMORE SLOUGH California Poor 1915 111 70
SYCAMORE SLOUGH California Poor 1915 111 60
LITTLE INDIAN CREEK California Poor 1915 111 37
GRASSHOPPER SLOUGH California Fair 1915 111 25,000
DRY CREEK California Good 1915 111 22,000
BEST SLOUGH California Good 1915 111 25,000
ROCK CREEK California Poor 1915 111 62
STEMPLE CREEK California Fair 1915 111 3,100
SANTA ROSA CREEK California Good 1915 111 500
MAACAMA CREEK California Fair 1915 111 800
DRY CREEK California Fair 1915 111 838
CALABAZAS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 800
SCHOOL DRAW California Fair 1915 111 3,200
JAMESON CANYON CREEK California Fair 1915 111 4,470

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.