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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOURPOLE CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 200 |
| CUCUMBER CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 200 |
| CACAPON RIVER | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 550 |
| LITTLE BEAVER CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 12,100 |
| ISNER CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 600 |
| TYGART VALLEY RIVER | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 50 |
| KINGS RUN | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 150 |
| TAYLOR RUN | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 20 |
| LEFT FORK OF SLAB CREEK | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 550 |
| BRANCH OF DOG RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 80 |
| SLATE RUN | West Virginia | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 1,100 |
| PECKS RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 80 |
| SAND RUN | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 50 |
| LAUREL FORK | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 200 |
| GAULEY RIVER | West Virginia | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 250 |
| WISCONSIN RIVER 31 | Wisconsin | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 28,144 |
| SAUK CREEK | Wisconsin | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 10,200 |
| WILLOW RIVER | Wisconsin | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 226 |
| QUADERERS CREEK | Wisconsin | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 4,200 |
| JOSIE CREEK | Wisconsin | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 25 |
| PENSAUKEE RIVER | Wisconsin | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 100 |
| BR PINE CREEK | Wisconsin | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 531 |
| E BR YELLOW RIVER | Wisconsin | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 60 |
| Ft Laramie Canal | Wyoming | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 2 |
| FIREHOLE RIVER | Wyoming | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 250 |
| North Platte River | Wyoming | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 69 |
| Encampment River | Wyoming | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 71 |
| Medicine Bow River | Wyoming | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 59 |
| GRANDE RIVER | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 7,200 |
| LA PUENTE CHANNEL | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 7,900 |
| PASTILLO RIVER | Puerto Rico | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 8,500 |
| Boulder Creek | Arizona | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 1,169 |
| Santa Cruz River | Arizona | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 840 |
| Graveyard Wash | Arizona | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 1,188 |
| Pinal Creek | Arizona | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 642 |
| SPRING RIVER | Arkansas | Poor | 1916 | 110 | 779 |
| LEau Frais Crk | Arkansas | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 378 |
| REDWOOD CREEK | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 78 |
| CAMPBELL SLOUGH | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 1,500 |
| S FK WILLOW CREEK | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 46 |
| LITTLE CHICO CREEK | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 5,200 |
| BEAR R CAMP FARWEST WIER | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 540 |
| QUAKER DRAW | California | Good | 1916 | 110 | 1,000 |
| SMITH CREEK | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 1,500 |
| UNION SCHOOL SLOUGH | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 115 |
| SACRAMENTO BYPASS (WEIR) | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 2,889 |
| RILEY RAVINE | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 1,000 |
| ARCADE CREEK | California | Good | 1916 | 110 | 17,544 |
| ARROYO CALERO | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 3,760 |
| WATERFORD CANAL | California | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 9,100 |
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.