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
AMERICAN RIVER California Poor 1915 111 26,500
GOLD CREEK California Fair 1915 111 1,000
SOUTH FK AMERICAN RIVER California Fair 1915 111 284
FRENCH CREEK California Fair 1915 111 1,000
OLD RIVER California Poor 1915 111 8,200
MIDDLE RIVER California Fair 1915 111 7,200
MORMON SLOUGH California Fair 1915 111 2,700
YOUNGS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 379
DEER CREEK California Fair 1915 111 120
WOODS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 130
SAN LORENZO CREEK California Fair 1915 111 3,500
CORDILLERAS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 25,000
BEAN CREEK California Fair 1915 111 1,000
BEAN CREEK California Good 1915 111 500
CASSERLY CREEK TRIB NO 1 California Poor 1915 111 500
SAN TOMAS CREEK California Poor 1915 111 6,740
SAN TOMAS CREEK California Fair 1915 111 6,740
LITTLE LLAGAS CRK California Good 1915 111 2,410
RED FOX CREEK California Good 1915 111 1,690
CHURCH CREEK California Good 1915 111 1,070
PENITENCIA CREEK California Good 1915 111 1,500
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1915 111 20,200
M.I.D. CANAL California Fair 1915 111 20,200
SALADO CREEK California Fair 1915 111 6,450
BLITZ CREEK California Good 1915 111 12,000
OUTSIDE CANAL California Fair 1915 111 344
SALINAS RIVER California Poor 1915 111 530
LITTLE CHOLAME CREEK California Fair 1915 111 240
ALTA CANAL California Fair 1915 111 100
CAMERON CREEK California Fair 1915 111 70
E BR SAN LUIS OBISPO CRK California Fair 1915 111 4,717
ATASCADERO CREEK California Good 1915 111 20,000
KERN ISLAND CNL CNTRL BR California Fair 1915 111 4,016
KERN ISLAND CANAL California Fair 1915 111 4,016
SAN YSIDRO CREEK California Fair 1915 111 76,000
ROMERO CREEK California Fair 1915 111 76,000
RINCON CREEK California Fair 1915 111 191
MISSION CREEK California Fair 1915 111 3,200
ELLSWORTH BARRANCA California Good 1915 111 1,500
GOPHER CANYON CREEK California Good 1915 111 1,430
STATE ROUTE 163 California Good 1915 111 3,539
FOUNTAIN CREEK Colorado Poor 1915 111 283
SHOOKS RUN Colorado Fair 1915 111 4,940
SHOOKS RUN Colorado Fair 1915 111 16,577
ANDERSON ARROYO Colorado Fair 1915 111 2,767
HOUSATONIC RR Connecticut Fair 1915 111 14,200
WALLACE RACEWAY Connecticut Poor 1915 111 12,500
ABANDONED DOT RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1915 111 2,387
BROAD CREEK Delaware Fair 1915 111 3,164
ROCK CREEK District of Columbia Fair 1915 111 12,000

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.