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 CONNEAUT CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 250 |
| YELLOW BREECHES CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 2,808 |
| BENNETT BR SINNEMAHONING | Pennsylvania | Good | 1889 | 137 | 10 |
| FRENCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 30 |
| FRANKSTOWN BR JUNIATA R | Pennsylvania | Good | 1889 | 137 | 256 |
| GREAT TROUGH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 82 |
| SHAVER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 136 |
| NESHANNOCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 50 |
| OVER PINE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 776 |
| BERTSCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 1,238 |
| WHITE DEER HOLE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 13 |
| OVER BROKENSTRAW CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 148 |
| RACCOON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1889 | 137 | 15 |
| DELAWARE RIVER | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 180 |
| Conewago Creek | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 294 |
| POLO LAKE | Rhode Island | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 6,746 |
| RR GRADE RD / DOE RIVER | Tennessee | Poor | 1889 | 137 | 50 |
| 1ST BRANCH WHITE R. | Vermont | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 30 |
| SUGAR HOLLOW BROOK | Vermont | Good | 1889 | 137 | 8,800 |
| BOCA FORMA CREEK | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1889 | 137 | 14,400 |
| WORKMAN WASH | California | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 146 |
| AMTRAK RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 3,500 |
| WINTERGREEN BROOK | Connecticut | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 2,800 |
| APPLE CREEK | Illinois | Good | 1890 | 136 | 25 |
| BR OF OAT CREEK | Illinois | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 25 |
| TRIB TO KANKAKEE R. | Illinois | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 550 |
| BOHNKE DRAIN | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 2 |
| CLIFTY CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 430 |
| MIDDLE FORK CLIFTY CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| VERNON FK MUSCATATUCK R | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| SAND CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 180 |
| MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| CLIFTY CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| DUCK CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 140 |
| BR FALL FORK CLIFTY CREE | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 110 |
| JORDAN CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 110 |
| BULL CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 320 |
| SALT CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 350 |
| BLACK CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | — |
| SAND CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 100 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 63 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 100 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 97 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 150 |
| EEL RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 40 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 21 |
| INDIAN CR | Iowa | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 299 |
| BADGER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 40 |
| SILVER CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 10 |
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.