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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILLERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 250 |
| MONTOUR RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1890 | 136 | 5,216 |
| UNAMI CREEK / 2806-E4 | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 3,005 |
| STONYCREEK RIVER | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 34 |
| BLACK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 50 |
| OVER CONNEAUT OUTLET | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 250 |
| BIG SPRING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 251 |
| HOOVERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 50 |
| PINE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 190 |
| KNAPP CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 40 |
| SWAMP CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 838 |
| RDG.BLUE MT.NOR RR SCH.R | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | — |
| BUFFALO CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 50 |
| MILLERS RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1890 | 136 | 40 |
| WHEELING CREEK TRIB | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 20 |
| PIGEON CREEK trib | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 150 |
| N BRANCH PIGEON CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 2 |
| CSX RAILROAD | Pennsylvania | Good | 1890 | 136 | 27,785 |
| MESHOPPEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1890 | 136 | 50 |
| BLACK FALLS BROOK | Vermont | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 410 |
| MILL BROOK | Vermont | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 50 |
| CALFPASTURE RIVER | Virginia | Good | 1890 | 136 | 104 |
| TUG FORK | West Virginia | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 500 |
| TUG FORK | West Virginia | Poor | 1890 | 136 | — |
| BR MCCARTNEY BRANCH | Wisconsin | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 240 |
| S BR LITTLE WOLF RIVER | Wisconsin | Good | 1890 | 136 | 597 |
| S BR LITTLE WOLF RIVER | Wisconsin | Poor | 1890 | 136 | 56 |
| UNKOWN CREEK | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 17,100 |
| WATERWAY | Puerto Rico | Fair | 1890 | 136 | 5,944 |
| MISSION CREEK | California | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 10,600 |
| AMTRAK RAILROAD | Connecticut | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 3,500 |
| STONE MOUNTAIN CREEK | Georgia | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 2,202 |
| JACKSON PK LAGOON IN | Illinois | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 36,700 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 938 |
| GREAT WORKS RIVER | Maine | Poor | 1891 | 135 | 1,170 |
| COMB STRW DR & CHAS RIV | Massachusetts | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 38,638 |
| COMB CONN RIV & PVRR | Massachusetts | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 18,700 |
| OTHER LITTLE RIVER CUL | Massachusetts | Good | 1891 | 135 | 4,500 |
| RR MBTA/BMRR | Massachusetts | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 1,200 |
| RR MBTA/CSX | Massachusetts | Poor | 1891 | 135 | 1,300 |
| WATER FRENCH RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 2,000 |
| S CH PLATTE RIVER | Nebraska | Poor | 1891 | 135 | 15 |
| CROSSWICKS CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 1,668 |
| Whippany River | New Jersey | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 17,820 |
| RARITAN VALLEY LINE | New Jersey | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 15 |
| OTSELIC RIVER | New York | Poor | 1891 | 135 | 257 |
| ISCHUA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 92 |
| DEER RIVER | New York | Poor | 1891 | 135 | 77 |
| MOHAWK RIVER | New York | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 1,142 |
| W & LE RR (TUNNEL) | Ohio | Fair | 1891 | 135 | 1,841 |
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.