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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVER I.C.E. RR | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 358 |
| GOOSE CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,680 |
| CARDINAL CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 120 |
| DUCK CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 120 |
| DUCK CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15,300 |
| SKILLET CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 34 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 684 |
| CLOSES CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,608 |
| SCHOOL CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 908 |
| ELK RUN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 209 |
| OVER ABANDON RR | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 387 |
| OVRFLW SHELL ROCK RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,902 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 452 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 220 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 472 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 232 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 232 |
| DRY RUN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 224 |
| DRY RUN CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 750 |
| DRY RUN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,273 |
| HURTZEL RUN | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 269 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,429 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,290 |
| BLOWERS CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,339 |
| OTTER CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,042 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 37 |
| STREAM | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 490 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,800 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH | Iowa | Good | 1900 | 126 | 1,460 |
| THREE MILE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| NODAWAY CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 35 |
| RUTT BRANCH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 35 |
| MIDDLE RIVER | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 20 |
| BRANCH MIDDLE RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| MIDDLE NODAWAY RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| CIPRA BRANCH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 71 |
| EAST NODAWAY RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| KEMP CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| EAST NODAWAY RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| BR SUTTLE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 70 |
| YELLOW RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| HICKORY CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 49 |
| TEEPLE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 60 |
| VILLAGE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 10 |
| CLEAR CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| LONG BRANCH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| PACKARD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 16 |
| SHOAL CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| INDIAN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
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.