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
WILLOW RIVER Iowa Poor 1900 126 89
SMALL CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 50
STRAW CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 26
CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 40
CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 11
DD Iowa Fair 1900 126 20
DD Iowa Fair 1900 126 100
CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 15
PRAIRIE CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 15
DD Iowa Fair 1900 126 15
DD Iowa Poor 1900 126 11
SOLDIER RIVER Iowa Poor 1900 126 11
CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 26
STREAM Iowa Poor 1900 126 21
UNNAMED CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 369
EAST FORK BATTLE CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 35
BACON CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 199
CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 50
SMALL Iowa Poor 1900 126 379
CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 26
MILLER CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 110
DEVILS RUN Iowa Poor 1900 126
CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 20
DRAINAGE Iowa Poor 1900 126 50
STREAM Iowa Poor 1900 126 30
CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 110
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 460
DEER CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 35
STREAM Iowa Good 1900 126 51
SMALL Iowa Poor 1900 126 11
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 260
SMALL STREAM Iowa Poor 1900 126 46
DRAINAGE Iowa Fair 1900 126 270
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 35
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 970
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 60
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 510
STREAM Iowa Fair 1900 126 340
HOOSIER CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 1,500
SMALL CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 135
E FORK DES MOINES RIVER Iowa Poor 1900 126 34
DD #185 Iowa Poor 1900 126 5
LITTLE SUGAR CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 20
BUFFALO CR Iowa Poor 1900 126 50
BUFFALO CR Iowa Poor 1900 126 15
LOST BRANCH CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 21
DR TO HONEY CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 5
WOLF CREEK Iowa Poor 1900 126 20
WEST RAT CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 34
RAT CREEK Iowa Fair 1900 126 50

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.