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
PRAIRIE CREEK Oregon Fair 1915 111 241
BECKETS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 4,603
PINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 2,927
HOWES RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 629
PINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 4,660
PINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 4,130
CSX/AV RR SALINE ST Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 6,000
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 1,000
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 4,000
N-S RR/R-R ST/CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 2,002
BEAVER CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 112
BEAVERDAM CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 21
WILLOW CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 11,268
PLUM CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 376
VANSCOYOC RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 141
CLOVER CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 67
BULLARD CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 50
WEST BR. SUGAR CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 500
READING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 3,903
TRIB.DELAWARE RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 1,951
SOUTH BRANCH GLADE RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 100
LITTLE BUFFALO RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 100
TRIB. LITTLE BUFFALO RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 100
BONNIE BROOK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 100
W.BR.SUSQUEHANNA RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 540
WALNUT RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 307
WALNUT RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 308
LICK RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 250
BUCK RUN & DOE RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 307
BROAD RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 959
FRENCH CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 491
SHAMONA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 2,866
BRANCH OF BEAVER RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 35
SANDY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 25
MORAVIAN RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 10
BENNETT BRANCH Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 25
LAUREL RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 30
LUTHERSBURGBRSANDYLICKCR Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 80
TRIB TO CATAWISSA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 2,298
OVER TORRY RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 250
OVER SIXTEEN MILE CK BR Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 7,741
OVER ROSS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 161
WHITETHORN RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 287
CRABAPPLE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 159
RUFF CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 57
BIG RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111
CALLEN RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 144
TUSCARORA CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1915 111 50
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR Pennsylvania Good 1915 111 319
OVER SPRING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1915 111 86

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.