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.

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.