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
POESTEN KILL New York Fair 1886 140 7,758
OWASCO OUTLET New York Fair 1886 140 2,195
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1886 140 4,951
ONESQUETHAW CREEK New York Poor 1886 140 137
LITTLE MUSKINGUM RIVER Ohio Fair 1886 140 209
Muskingum River Ohio Good 1886 140 1,236
W. BR. WOLF CREEK Ohio Poor 1886 140 209
VALLEY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1886 140 24
CHEST CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1886 140 171
BUSHKILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1886 140 13,117
GAYLORD CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1886 140 25
CSX TRANSPORTATION Pennsylvania Poor 1886 140 2,529
ABBOTT RUN Rhode Island Poor 1886 140
ABBOTT RUN CANAL Rhode Island Fair 1886 140 1,943
ABBOTT RUN Rhode Island Fair 1886 140 1,943
JOES BROOK Vermont Fair 1886 140 100
WEST RIVER Vermont Good 1886 140 200
ELK CREEK West Virginia Poor 1886 140 10
MATON RIVER Puerto Rico Poor 1886 140 10,700
CIBUCO RIVER Puerto Rico Poor 1886 140 800
DEPRESSION Puerto Rico Fair 1886 140 7,200
COTTONWOOD CREEK Colorado Fair 1887 139 6,580
AMTRAK RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1887 139 350
HOGAN CREEK Indiana Fair 1887 139 3,050
SUGAR CREEK Indiana Fair 1887 139 240
SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1887 139 75
PATOKA RIVER Indiana Fair 1887 139 120
CLEAR CREEK Kansas Poor 1887 139 25
GWYNNS FALLS Maryland Fair 1887 139 20,504
OWENS CREEK Maryland Good 1887 139 59
WATER WARE RIVER Massachusetts Good 1887 139 259
WATER LITTLE RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1887 139 26,570
RR MACRR Massachusetts Fair 1887 139 390
E CHAN MISSISSIPPI RIVER Minnesota Fair 1887 139 2,533
SOUTH BRANCH RARITAN RVR New Jersey Fair 1887 139 3,356
Pompton River New Jersey Fair 1887 139 18,571
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1887 139 3,048
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1887 139 7,948
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1887 139 1,751
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1887 139 500
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1887 139 4,094
SAMS CREEK Ohio Fair 1887 139 30
CAMP RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 80
NORTH BR NESHAMINY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 100
FRENCH CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 187
HAMMER CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 400
BRANCH OF JORDAN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 410
FIVE MILE RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 23,102
FROG HOLLOW CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1887 139 6,623
STONYCREEK RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1887 139 75

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.