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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVER OIL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1888 | 138 | 100 |
| WISSAHICKON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1888 | 138 | 15,917 |
| Wissahickon Creek | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1888 | 138 | 3,400 |
| WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER | Rhode Island | Fair | 1888 | 138 | 5,445 |
| PAWTUXET RIVER N BRANCH | Rhode Island | Poor | 1888 | 138 | 910 |
| BOOTHS CREEK | West Virginia | Poor | 1888 | 138 | 2 |
| WEPAWAUG RIVER | Connecticut | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 14,300 |
| BEECH CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 30 |
| TURKEY RIVER | Iowa | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 4,755 |
| MIDDLE CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 1,951 |
| WATER MUDDY RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 1,000 |
| WATER SALISBURY BROOK | Massachusetts | Good | 1889 | 137 | 16,300 |
| WATER MILLERS RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 140 |
| WATER SECOND LEVEL CANAL | Massachusetts | Good | 1889 | 137 | 4,762 |
| RR MBTA/BMRR | Massachusetts | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 7,600 |
| RR CSX/MBTA | Massachusetts | Good | 1889 | 137 | 14,482 |
| WICKECHEOKE CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 328 |
| TRENTON LINE (CSX) | New Jersey | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 1,000 |
| GREEN BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 9,189 |
| FLAT BROOK | New Jersey | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 302 |
| DELAWARE RIVER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 180 |
| BOZEN KILL | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 23 |
| OTSQUAGO CREEK | New York | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 4 |
| GOWANUS CANAL | New York | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 914 |
| GOWANUS CANAL | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 11,199 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | — |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Good | 1889 | 137 | 1,956 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Good | 1889 | 137 | 16,820 |
| METRO NORTH RR | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | — |
| METRO NORTH RR | New York | Good | 1889 | 137 | 6,587 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Good | 1889 | 137 | 11,062 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 8,053 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 6,205 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 3,466 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 28,125 |
| METRO NO COMMUTER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 20,781 |
| MILL CREEK | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 28 |
| METTAWEE RIVER | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 483 |
| ORISKANY CREEK | New York | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 1,355 |
| S. BRANCH KOKOSING | Ohio | Good | 1889 | 137 | 283 |
| MONTOUR RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1889 | 137 | 650 |
| DEER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 88 |
| LITTLE SEWICKLEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 266 |
| BRUSH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 25 |
| YELLOW CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 20 |
| TULPEHOCKEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 11 |
| MORRIS RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 200 |
| LITTLE ELK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 427 |
| WEST BR RED CLAY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 659 |
| SOUTH BR. FRENCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 565 |
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.