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
WATER POWER CANAL Massachusetts Fair 1885 141 14,400
RR BMRR Massachusetts Good 1885 141 4,050
ST JOSEPH RIVER Michigan Fair 1885 141 1,144
CLAY BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1885 141 154
SOUTH BR RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1885 141 179
CAPOOLONG CREEK New Jersey Fair 1885 141 160
SCHUYLER CREEK New York Poor 1885 141 8,084
SACANDAGA RIVER New York Fair 1885 141 979
LONG ISLAND-ML New York Fair 1885 141 242
CANASERAGA CREEK New York Fair 1885 141 510
GOOSE RIVER North Dakota Fair 1885 141 20
DOAN CREEK AT MLK BLVD Ohio Fair 1885 141 20,699
BIG DARBY CREEK Ohio Good 1885 141 2,357
BIG SEWICKLEY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 10
GADDES RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 1,567
OCTORARO CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 130
CONODOGUINET CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 250
SOUTH FORK TENMILE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 25
STAFFORD MEADOW BROOK Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 1,200
CHIQUES CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1885 141 570
ONTELAUNEE CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 50
Little Shenango River Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 57
W BR DYBERRY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 22
CRESHEIM CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1885 141 8,525
Manayunk Canal Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 200
CSX R.R. Pennsylvania Fair 1885 141 16,516
BLACKSTONE RIVER Rhode Island Fair 1885 141 3,811
SAUGATUCKET RIVER Rhode Island Fair 1885 141 8,515
MILL POND Rhode Island Fair 1885 141 15,352
MF HOLSTON RIVER Virginia Poor 1885 141 168
E FORK PLUM RIVER Illinois Poor 1886 140 25
FLATROCK RIVER Indiana Fair 1886 140 225
SMALL CREEK Iowa Poor 1886 140 3,705
CARRABASSET RIVER Maine Fair 1886 140 74
LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS Maryland Fair 1886 140 223
WATER HOOSIC RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 10,488
TR RED LINE MATT CONN Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 21,000
WATER MONATIQUOT RIVER Massachusetts Good 1886 140 6,200
WATER MATFIELD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 2,286
WATER ASSABET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 14,400
WATER ASSONET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 14,353
WATER QUINSIGAMOND RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 6,080
WATER ABBOTT RUN RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1886 140 3,750
RR CSX Massachusetts Good 1886 140 21,300
KALAMAZOO RIVER Michigan Fair 1886 140 2,582
GRAND RIVER Michigan Fair 1886 140 4,550
PEMIGEWASSET RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1886 140 50
PAULINS KILL New Jersey Fair 1886 140 266
STONY KILL New York Fair 1886 140 1,824
MNRR NH LINE New York Fair 1886 140 7,043

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.