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
UNION DRAINAGE DITCH Illinois Poor 1900 126 15,700
STREAM Illinois Poor 1900 126 250
SPRING CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 6,750
S.BR FORKED CR Illinois Fair 1900 126 175
ROCK CR Illinois Fair 1900 126 75
S. BR ROCK CREEK Illinois Good 1900 126 50
FORKED CR Illinois Fair 1900 126 1,900
STREAM Illinois Fair 1900 126 75
BANSTON CREEK Illinois Fair 1900 126 325
BNRR Illinois Good 1900 126 25
EAST FORK COAL CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 641
HAMM DITCH Indiana Fair 1900 126 104
BOHNKE DRAIN Indiana Fair 1900 126 104
BOHNKE DRAIN Indiana Fair 1900 126 104
ELLISON #2 DRAIN Indiana Fair 1900 126 130
ROBINSON-BRINDLE DRAIN Indiana Poor 1900 126 156
HOFFMAN FLATROCK DRAIN Indiana Fair 1900 126 573
MUD CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 290
PRAIRIE CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 120
LENNOX DITCH Indiana Fair 1900 126 710
Middle Fork WILDCAT Cr Indiana Fair 1900 126 75
RATTLESNAKE Creek Indiana Fair 1900 126 359
N Branch of Otter Creek Indiana Fair 1900 126 179
Lafferty Ditch Indiana Poor 1900 126 12
Conneley Ditch Indiana Fair 1900 126 12
EEL RIVER Indiana Poor 1900 126 114
Wabash & Erie Canal Indiana Good 1900 126 119
Lafferty Ditch Indiana Poor 1900 126 19
LITTLE BLUE RIVER Indiana Poor 1900 126 271
FISH CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 125
CAMPBELL CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 900
MILL Creek Indiana Good 1900 126 731
DILLON CREEK Indiana Poor 1900 126 27
WHITEWATER CANAL Indiana Fair 1900 126 100
BROWN BRANCH SALT CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 350
SNAIL CREEK Indiana Poor 1900 126 350
SOURS RUN of DRY FORK Indiana Fair 1900 126 100
LOEFLER DITCH Indiana Poor 1900 126 10
BRANCH OF SNAKE RUN Indiana Poor 1900 126 480
DONOHUE CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 250
EAST FORK OF KEG CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 80
WHITE LICK CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 2,575
E FORK OF WHITE LICK CR Indiana Poor 1900 126 5,500
FALL CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 1,600
SALAMONIE RIVER Indiana Good 1900 126 1,103
HARBERTS CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 225
HENSLEY CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 225
MUTTON CREEK Indiana Fair 1900 126 800
SOUTH FORK VERNON FORK Indiana Fair 1900 126 2,225
COFFEE CREEK Indiana Poor 1900 126 1,350

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.