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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILVER CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 15 |
| HUNTING CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 135 |
| LITTLE PIPE CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 200 |
| SIDELING HILL CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 66 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Maryland | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 678 |
| C&O CANAL | Maryland | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 159 |
| WATER POWWOW RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 8,336 |
| RR CSX | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 129 |
| WATER DEERFIELD RIVER | Massachusetts | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 5,950 |
| WATER RESERVOIR 2 | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 9,582 |
| WATER HOUSATONIC RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 6,200 |
| COMB MBTA/BMRR & ORANGE | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 3,000 |
| OTHER NORTHAMPTON BK WAY | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 7,500 |
| RR MACRR | Massachusetts | Good | 1890 | 136 | 1,857 |
| RR CSX/MBTA | Massachusetts | Good | 1890 | 136 | 2,300 |
| WATER ABERJONA RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 10,600 |
| RR PCRR (ABANDONED) | Massachusetts | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 8,078 |
| S FORK OF HAYWORTH | Michigan | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 119 |
| GRAND RIVER | Michigan | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 1,100 |
| MINNEHAHA CREEK | Minnesota | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 4,334 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Minnesota | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 1 |
| POMME DE TERRE RVR | Missouri | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 35 |
| SACO RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 2,490 |
| CSX | New Hampshire | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 8,749 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 689 |
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 978 |
| AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 10,650 |
| AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR | New Jersey | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 7,956 |
| Arm of Lake Carasaljo | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 4,306 |
| S. BRANCH RARITAN RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 668 |
| POPHANDUSING CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 94 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Good | 1890 | 136 | 4,623 |
| BEEMAN CREEK | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 54 |
| BUTTERNUT CREEK | New York | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 29 |
| OAK CREEK | New York | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 34 |
| PED. OPP 109TH ST | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 9,000 |
| DRY BROOK | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 2 |
| STEELE CREEK | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 3,490 |
| OATKA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 208 |
| CHAUTAUQUA CRK | New York | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 443 |
| CROPSEY LANE | New York | Good | 1890 | 136 | 5,374 |
| NO NAME | Ohio | Good | 1890 | 136 | 380 |
| PENN RR | Ohio | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 324 |
| SHAWNEE CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 3,007 |
| TRIB W FORK MILL CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 21,420 |
| MIDDLE FORK SUGAR CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 209 |
| FRENCH CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 12,482 |
| TOMS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 2,578 |
| DAYS RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 1,899 |
| MILLERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 1,300 |
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.