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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N BR MOOSE RIVER | New York | Poor | 1895 | 131 | — |
| PLATTEKILL CREEK | New York | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 351 |
| E B AUSABLE RIVER | New York | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 112 |
| TIDERISHI DITCH | Ohio | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 37 |
| GORDON CREEK | Ohio | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 30 |
| SEVEN MILE CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 324 |
| BULL CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 9,826 |
| EAST BR.PERKIOMEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1895 | 131 | 50 |
| SEPTA | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 4,918 |
| SO BR TUNKHANNOCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 30 |
| OVER WOLF CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 153 |
| Dugan Road | Pennsylvania | Good | 1895 | 131 | 8 |
| BENS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 50 |
| CEDAR RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1895 | 131 | 22 |
| LITTLE SANDY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 50 |
| N BRANCH CALKINS CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 50 |
| EQUINUNK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 60 |
| READING RAILROAD;ROAD | Pennsylvania | Good | 1895 | 131 | 27,908 |
| Schuylkill River | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 18,650 |
| BLACKSTONE RIVER | Rhode Island | Good | 1895 | 131 | 10,965 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Tennessee | Good | 1895 | 131 | 290 |
| MILL BROOK | Vermont | Good | 1895 | 131 | 100 |
| EAST FORK GREENBRIER R | West Virginia | Poor | 1895 | 131 | 20 |
| CARNEROS CREEK | California | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 1,959 |
| US67 MISSRVR L&D15 CPRR | Illinois | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 18,000 |
| N BR CHICAGO RIVER | Illinois | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 17,600 |
| STONY CREEK | Illinois | Good | 1896 | 130 | 9,800 |
| ELKHART RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 3,593 |
| LEATHERWOOD Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1896 | 130 | 206 |
| BIG PINE CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1896 | 130 | 60 |
| FALLS BRANCH | Indiana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 290 |
| FALLS BRANCH | Indiana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 1,130 |
| FALLS BRANCH | Indiana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 900 |
| BIG CREEK TRIBUTARY | Indiana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 2 |
| CASCADE LANDING | Iowa | Poor | 1896 | 130 | 743 |
| OTHER SHINING SEA BIKEWY | Massachusetts | Good | 1896 | 130 | 4,655 |
| WATER CONCORD RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 14,250 |
| RR MBTA/CSX | Massachusetts | Good | 1896 | 130 | 8,300 |
| OTHER COCHITUATE RAIL TR | Massachusetts | Good | 1896 | 130 | 1,552 |
| WATER ABERJONA RIVER | Massachusetts | Good | 1896 | 130 | 6,206 |
| DEARBORN RIVER 011 | Montana | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 31 |
| COPPER CREEK | New Jersey | Poor | 1896 | 130 | 160 |
| SPRUCE RUN | New Jersey | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 753 |
| PEDDIE LAKE | New Jersey | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 3,115 |
| CRANBURY BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 7,125 |
| GRAND AVENUE | New Jersey | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 171 |
| SOUTH BRANCH RARITAN RIV | New Jersey | Good | 1896 | 130 | 1,821 |
| PAULINS KILL | New Jersey | Good | 1896 | 130 | 177 |
| DELAWARE RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 18,700 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1896 | 130 | 9,344 |
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.