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
LOCUST CREEK Illinois Poor 1900 126 20
BIG GEORGE BRANCH Illinois Poor 1900 126 10
BIG GEORGE BRANCH Illinois Fair 1900 126 225
LAKE FORK Illinois Fair 1900 126 20
WILLOW CREEK Illinois Poor 1900 126 35
WILLOW BRANCH Illinois Poor 1900 126 50
SPRINGSIDE BRANCH Illinois Poor 1900 126 1,100
LAKE PANA Illinois Fair 1900 126 1,100
S. FORK SANGAMON R. Illinois Poor 1900 126 25
S. FORK SANGAMON R. Illinois Poor 1900 126 25
SPRING BRANCH Illinois Fair 1900 126 50
SKAGGS CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 35
CLEAR CREEK Illinois Poor 1900 126 20
DES PLAINES RIVER Illinois Fair 1900 126 10,550
SALT CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 26,600
WHEELING DRN DTCH Illinois Fair 1900 126 24,900
SALT CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 25,200
BUTTERFIELD CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 5,550
SALT CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 15,400
26TH ST CONNECTION Illinois Poor 1900 126 100
MIDLOTHIAN CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 5,250
MARLEY CR Illinois Fair 1900 126 7,500
N FORK SALT CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 50
COON CREEK Illinois Poor 1900 126 50
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Good 1900 126 250
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Good 1900 126 50
JORDAN SLOUGH Illinois Good 1900 126 25
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Good 1900 126 75
STREAM Illinois Good 1900 126 50
STREAM Illinois Poor 1900 126 50
SALT FORK Illinois Fair 1900 126 50
SHILOH DRAIN DITCH 3 Illinois Fair 1900 126 25
STREAM Illinois Fair 1900 126 350
LITTLE MUDDY RIVER Illinois Good 1900 126 300
LITTLE MUDDY RIVER Illinois Good 1900 126 150
THOMPSON RESERVOIR Illinois Poor 1900 126 50
BENTON LAKE Illinois Good 1900 126 550
TRIB BIG MUDDY Illinois Good 1900 126 35
MIDDLE FORK CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 20
BRANCH BIG MUDDY RIV Illinois Fair 1900 126 1,750
MOSES LAKE Illinois Good 1900 126 325
TRIB TO SUGAR CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 2,150
TRIB MD FORK Illinois Good 1900 126 20
TRB AKIN CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 50
EWING CK Illinois Fair 1900 126 20
STREAM Illinois Poor 1900 126 25
PUT CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 75
BN RR (063478L) Illinois Fair 1900 126 50
DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Fair 1900 126 10
SALINE RIVER Illinois Poor 1900 126 350

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.