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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BROWN DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 106 |
| FRICK DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 25 |
| LONGPOND AND WHITE RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | — |
| MARIAH CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 130 |
| KANKAKEE RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 136 |
| WEST BOGGS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 63 |
| BEAVER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 250 |
| HAW CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 63 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 250 |
| HONEY CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 275 |
| STEPHENS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 111 |
| THOMPSON DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 145 |
| BRANCH OF WILLOW CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 200 |
| LOST RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 135 |
| GROUNDHOG Branch | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 181 |
| N Branch OTTER Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 61 |
| Branch of RACCOON Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 63 |
| WILLIAMS Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 737 |
| N Branch OTTER Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 103 |
| ROCKY Fork Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 39 |
| CAT Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 52 |
| East Fork RUSH Creek | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 63 |
| NORTH FORK BIG GRAHAM CK | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 150 |
| TRIB TO LAUGHERY CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 150 |
| RIPLEY CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 325 |
| FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 444 |
| BEN DAVIS CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 100 |
| BRANCH OF FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 950 |
| LITTLE BLUE RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 250 |
| CONNS CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 100 |
| BR LITTLE FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 450 |
| LITTLE FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 250 |
| N BRANCH OF CLIFTY CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 100 |
| LICK CREEK | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 550 |
| ST. JOSEPH River | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,999 |
| FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 175 |
| DEER CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 800 |
| Redwood Creek | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 100 |
| MIDDLE FORK CRK TRIB | Indiana | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 232 |
| DIVISION CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 3,776 |
| DIVISION CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 555 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 95 |
| LATERAL #77 DD #23 | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,081 |
| S BR DRY RUN | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,049 |
| RAILROAD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 472 |
| RAILROAD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 377 |
| RAILROAD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 699 |
| RAILROAD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 803 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,073 |
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.