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
CONN. RIVER LINE R.R. Vermont Fair 1915 111 380
GREAT BROOK Vermont Fair 1915 111 400
KNOB HILL BROOK Vermont Fair 1915 111 5,600
POULTNEY RIVER Vermont Fair 1915 111 1,000
OTTER CREEK Vermont Good 1915 111 250
MIDDLE RIVER Virginia Poor 1915 111 309
Elk Creek Virginia Poor 1915 111 130
Spreading Spring Branch Virginia Fair 1915 111 172
Flat Creek Virginia Fair 1915 111 348
TEMPLES MILL Virginia Poor 1915 111 809
CRANES NEST RIVER Virginia Fair 1915 111 101
Blackwater River Virginia Good 1915 111 136
BEAVERDAM CREEK Virginia Fair 1915 111 48
NORTH FORK BEAVERDAM CK. Virginia Fair 1915 111 1,643
SMITH CREEK Virginia Good 1915 111 100
MEADE BRANCH Virginia Fair 1915 111 123
INDIAN CREEK Virginia Fair 1915 111 212
MILL CR Washington Fair 1915 111 24,100
HJF CANAL Washington Poor 1915 111 7,516
PINE CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 364
DRY WASH Washington Fair 1915 111 112
MIDDLE FORK Washington Fair 1915 111 117
CRAB CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 33
WB LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER Washington Fair 1915 111 98
NO NAME CREEK Washington Good 1915 111 153
BRANCH FOUR MILE CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 10
DRY WASH Washington Fair 1915 111 52
DRY RELIEF Washington Fair 1915 111 25
RAGING RIVER Washington Fair 1915 111 15
HATTON COULEE Washington Fair 1915 111 3
CLOQUALLUM CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 1,380
DRY WASH Washington Fair 1915 111 1
S FORK PALOUSE RIVER Washington Fair 1915 111 2,034
PORTAGE BAY Washington Poor 1915 111 35,000
MILL CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 10,563
DESCHUTES RIVER Washington Fair 1915 111 7,400
PATIT CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 100
PATIT CREEK Washington Fair 1915 111 225
RATTLERS RUN CREEK Washington Good 1915 111 85
SUGAR CREEK West Virginia Fair 1915 111 100
MITCHELL RUN West Virginia Fair 1915 111 200
MITCHELL RUN West Virginia Fair 1915 111 200
SIMPSON CREEK West Virginia Fair 1915 111 80
CABIN RUN West Virginia Fair 1915 111 200
NORTH FORK LUNICE CREEK West Virginia Poor 1915 111 1,000
Hardin Run West Virginia Fair 1915 111 850
Hardin Run West Virginia Fair 1915 111 900
ROBINSON RUN West Virginia Poor 1915 111 1,200
ROBINSON RUN West Virginia Fair 1915 111 1,200
SALEM FORK West Virginia Poor 1915 111 50

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.