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
HARBOR BROOK Connecticut Fair 1895 131 2,870
FARMINGTON RIVER Connecticut Fair 1895 131 235
METRO-NORTH RAILROAD Connecticut Good 1895 131 7,900
S BRANCH BROUILLETTS Illinois Poor 1895 131 75
LITTLE WABASH RIVER Illinois Good 1895 131 225
OPPOSSUM CK. Illinois Fair 1895 131 75
E BR PANTHER CR Illinois Good 1895 131 25
ST MARYS RIVER Indiana Fair 1895 131 150
SOUTH HOGAN CREEK Indiana Fair 1895 131 230
SALT CREEK Indiana Fair 1895 131 250
COBBS FORK SAND CREEK Indiana Poor 1895 131 110
VERNON FK MUSCATATUCK R Indiana Fair 1895 131 570
BIG BAYOU Indiana Poor 1895 131
FLATROCK CREEK Indiana Poor 1895 131 100
BRUSH CREEK Indiana Fair 1895 131 250
BIG GRAHAM CREEK Indiana Fair 1895 131 150
BUSSERON CREEK Indiana Poor 1895 131
EAST FORK OF WHITE RIVER Indiana Poor 1895 131 45
BRANCH OF LAKE DITCH Indiana Fair 1895 131 100
WILLIAMS Creek Indiana Fair 1895 131 228
LITTLE BLUE RIVER Indiana Poor 1895 131
BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY Indiana Fair 1895 131 2
MIDDLE BR WAPSINONOC CR Iowa Poor 1895 131 20
SMALL STREAM Iowa Fair 1895 131 45
E FORK OF DES MOINES Iowa Poor 1895 131 5
N CLANTON CREEK Iowa Poor 1895 131 5
JIM CREEK Iowa Poor 1895 131 20
WOLF CREEK Iowa Poor 1895 131 11
JONES FALLS FALLS RD RR Maryland Fair 1895 131 20,361
RR MBTA/CSX Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 6,724
RR MBTA/CSX Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 11,120
WATER QUEQUECHAN RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 26,767
WATER STONEY BROOK Massachusetts Good 1895 131 11,137
WATER JONES RIVER Massachusetts Good 1895 131 33,491
RR MBTA/CSX Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 1,300
RR MBTA/CSX Massachusetts Good 1895 131 23,000
RR MBTA/CSX Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 10,090
WATER SUDBURY RESERVOIR Massachusetts Fair 1895 131 11,137
RR CSX/MBTA Massachusetts Good 1895 131 8,800
FISH CREEK Michigan Fair 1895 131 30
South Fork Zumbro River Minnesota Poor 1895 131 75
RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1895 131 23,717
RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1895 131 30,902
MAMARONECK RIVER New York Fair 1895 131 15,757
87I 87IX1M11022 RTE I87 New York Good 1895 131 31,013
LONG ISLAND-MK BR New York Poor 1895 131 1,327
WEST CANADA CREEK New York Poor 1895 131 239
BLACK RIVER New York Fair 1895 131 10
TWIN LAKES STREAM New York Fair 1895 131 10
BEAVER KILL New York Fair 1895 131 103

Historic Bridges by State

States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.

StateHistoric BridgesOldest YearAvg 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.