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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAT CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| ALLEN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| OTTER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 30 |
| OVER FLOW | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 30 |
| LITTLE OTTER CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| OVERFLOW | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| JOHNSON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| EMERY CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| LITTLE ROCK RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 41 |
| MUD CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 49 |
| ROCK RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| LIZARD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| SIDE DITCH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 10 |
| ALBERTSON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 41 |
| ALBERTSON CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| OVERFLOW | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| HEFFERMAN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| HEFFERMAN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 46 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 21 |
| LITTLE ROCK RIVER | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 71 |
| ARGO SLOUGH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| OVERFLOW | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| ARGO SLOUGH | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 46 |
| TAFT CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 30 |
| TAFT CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| EMERY CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| EMERY CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 35 |
| MUD CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 46 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| WILLOW CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 26 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| PINNEY CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| KLONDIKE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 41 |
| KLONDIKE CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 41 |
| SMALL STREAM | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| TOM CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| MOON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 62 |
| BLOOD RUN CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 90 |
| N FORK CLANTON CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15 |
| CEDAR CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| CEDAR CREEK | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 20 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH #2 | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 45 |
| COAL CREEK | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 71 |
| DRAINAGE DITCH #2 | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| DRAINAGE | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 5 |
| STREAM | Iowa | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 10 |
| LOCAL STREAM | Iowa | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| SOLDIER VALLEY D D | Iowa | Fair | 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.