Historic Bridges in Iowa

3,036 bridges built before 1951 in Iowa still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 3,036 bridges in Iowa 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.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
DRY CREEK Iowa Fair 1938 88 11
SMALL STREAM Iowa Fair 1938 88 26
DRY CREEK Iowa Good 1938 88 60
SMALL STREAM Iowa Poor 1938 88 11
SMALL STREAM Iowa Good 1938 88 15
SMALL STREAM Iowa Fair 1938 88 120
SMALL STREAM Iowa Good 1938 88 40
WEST BR INDIAN CREEK Iowa Poor 1938 88 60
CALAMUS CREEK Iowa Poor 1938 88 45
GRANT 5 OPEN DITCH Iowa Poor 1938 88 230
IOWA RIVER Iowa Poor 1938 88 216
SMALL STREAM Iowa Poor 1938 88 139
PINE CREEK Iowa Poor 1938 88 118
STREAM Iowa Poor 1938 88 15
WOLF CREEK Iowa Poor 1938 88 11
DRAINAGE Iowa Fair 1938 88 -
MIDDLE NODAWAY Iowa Poor 1939 87 415
BUCK RUN CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 933
NORTH ELK CREEK Iowa Poor 1939 87 278
SMALL NATURAL STREAM Iowa Poor 1939 87 278
EAST OKOBOJI LAKE Iowa Fair 1939 87 8,200
N BRANCH CATFISH CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 33,600
S FORK IOWA RIVER Iowa Fair 1939 87 609
STREAM Iowa Good 1939 87 4,590
BRANCH ODEBOLT RIVER Iowa Fair 1939 87 1,780
STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 1,780
STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 960
SMALL NATURAL STREAM Iowa Poor 1939 87 1,117
OVER UP RR Iowa Fair 1939 87 1,920
GRAND RIVER Iowa Poor 1939 87 30
CREEK Iowa Good 1939 87 60
CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 30
CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 30
CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 15
CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 11
TRIB TO BEAVER CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 34
LITTLE BEAVER CREEK Iowa Poor 1939 87 26
QUARTER SEC RUN Iowa Poor 1939 87 275
STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 15
CREEK Iowa Poor 1939 87 399
CLEAR CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 80
SOUTH WHITE BREAST CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 45
ELK CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 79
STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 39
BUFFALO CREEK Iowa Fair 1939 87 82
ODELL BRANCH Iowa Fair 1939 87 59
SMALL STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 44
SMALL STREAM Iowa Fair 1939 87 44
VOLGA RIVER Iowa Poor 1939 87 29
BOONE RIVER Iowa Fair 1939 87 478

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.