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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WALNUT CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 15 |
| SOUTH COTTONWOOD RIVER | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 20 |
| TRIB. TO N. COTTONWOOD | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 45 |
| TRIB. TO FRENCH CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 10 |
| SILVER CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 35 |
| MUD CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 40 |
| MUD CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 35 |
| EAST BRANCH CLEAR CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 25 |
| EAST BRANCH CLEAR CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 30 |
| INDIAN CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 10 |
| ROBIDOUX CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 10 |
| TRIB. TO ROCK CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 48 |
| SOUTH WEA CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 108 |
| TRIB. TO RABBIT CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 78 |
| TURKEY CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 40 |
| KILL CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 5 |
| PIPE CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 400 |
| OTTER CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 5 |
| BRANCH OF FANCY CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 75 |
| PARADISE CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 40 |
| BULL CREEK TRIBUTARY | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 10 |
| KINSLEY CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 30 |
| TRIB DRY CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 38 |
| MASSASOIT CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 20 |
| TRIB DRAGOON CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 15 |
| BATCH CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 20 |
| TRIB. TO VILLAGE CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 20 |
| Yellow Creek | Kentucky | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 100 |
| BEARGRASS CREEK | Kentucky | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 8,499 |
| SEBEC RIVER | Maine | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 6,037 |
| SEBEC RIVER | Maine | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 6,037 |
| PATAPSCO RIVER | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 25,532 |
| GREENE BRANCH | Maryland | Good | 1915 | 111 | 12,432 |
| HAYSTACK BRANCH | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 5,752 |
| LONG GREEN CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 5,752 |
| TUCKAHOE CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 1,551 |
| RED RUM RUN | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 1,680 |
| LITTLE FALLS | Maryland | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 548 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 1,500 |
| WATER YOKUM POND BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 1,898 |
| WATER SHAWSHEEN RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 19,400 |
| WATER CHARLES RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 26,400 |
| HWY NORTHERN AVE | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 700 |
| TR GREEN LINE D | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 6,210 |
| WATER UTILITY CANAL | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 2,500 |
| WATER POTASH BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 2,884 |
| WATER POTASH BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 2,887 |
| WATER SCHENOB BROOK | Massachusetts | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 130 |
| WATER ABERJONA RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 9,800 |
| WATER ABERJONA RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 10,732 |
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.