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
KEITH CREEK Illinois Poor 1915 111 9,300
ST MARYS RIVER Indiana Fair 1915 111 4,525
DUCK CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 150
HAW CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 270
NORTH FORK OF SALT CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 100
MIDDLE FORK SALT CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 15
SILVER CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 120
ILLINOIS CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 119
POND CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 119
BOGARD CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 100
BRANCH OF N HOGAN CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 1,050
SALT CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 140
BEAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 140
GRAHAM CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 150
NORTH FORK OF COAL CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 100
BIG SHAWNEE Creek Indiana Fair 1915 111 120
LITTLE SALT CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 250
EAST FORK BLUE CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 225
ROBB CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 20
WHITE RIVER Indiana Good 1915 111 16,600
LITTLE WABASH RIVER Indiana Fair 1915 111 341
BEAR CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111
DEER CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 150
BEAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 100
NETTLE CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 100
BRANCH OF TILLY DITCH Indiana Fair 1915 111 200
SPRING CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 149
EEL RIVER Indiana Poor 1915 111
LAZY RUN Indiana Fair 1915 111 190
Branch of RACCOON Creek Indiana Fair 1915 111 71
JIM Branch Indiana Fair 1915 111 122
MILL Creek Indiana Fair 1915 111 63
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 180
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 110
CLEAR CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 110
HIGGINS BRANCH CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 250
BIG WALNUT CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 130
GREENVILLE CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111
CABIN CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 112
LITTLE FLATROCK RIVER Indiana Fair 1915 111 100
FLATROCK RIVER Indiana Poor 1915 111
CREEK TO OHIO RIVER Indiana Fair 1915 111 60
GARRETT CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 60
MIDDLE FORK CROOKED CR Indiana Fair 1915 111 80
Branch of HONEY CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 188
TURMAN CREEK Indiana Poor 1915 111 188
WEST FORK OF TURMAN CR Indiana Fair 1915 111 157
PIT RUN Indiana Fair 1915 111 283
CHARLEY CRK VERMONT ST Indiana Fair 1915 111 1,320
GOPHER CREEK Indiana Fair 1915 111 60

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.