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
CHICKEN CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
UNNAMED STREAM Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
DRY CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 40
COON CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 10
TRIB. TO LINDSEY CREEK Kansas Good 1900 126 37
TRIB. TO PLUM CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 30
PLUM CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 15
WEST CEDAR CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 10
TRIB. TO NINNESCAH RIVER Kansas Fair 1900 126 12
TRIB. BIG ARKANSAS RIVER Kansas Poor 1900 126 80
AFTON CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 73
TRIB. TO NINNESCAH RIVER Kansas Fair 1900 126 40
TRIB. TO NINNESCAH RIVER Kansas Fair 1900 126 40
SPRING CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 40
DRY CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 40
TRIB. TO NINNESCAH RIVER Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
TRIB. MAIN BR. CHISHOLM Kansas Fair 1900 126 677
TRIB. TO COWSKIN CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 1,689
TRIB. TO ARKANSAS RIVER Kansas Fair 1900 126 2,142
TRIB. TO WILDCAT CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 65
MAPLE CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
NORTH FORK SALINE RIVER Kansas Poor 1900 126 10
NORTH FORK SOLOMON TRIB Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
SPRING CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 15
WEST OAK CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 20
SHORT CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 20
MUNKER CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 30
TRIB MUNKER CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 30
TRIB W BRANCH MILL CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 5
ILLINOIS CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 10
HENDRICKS CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 33
ROBERTS CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 20
ELM CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 15
SNOKOMO CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 30
ELM CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 30
CHICKEN CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 10
DRAGOON CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 20
TRIB. TO DRAGOON CREEK Kansas Poor 1900 126 30
SOLDIER CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 10
COON CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 20
CEDAR CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 45
Ward Cr. Kansas Good 1900 126 4,455
CHISHOLM CREEK TRIB. Kansas Fair 1900 126 6,000
ROCK RD SO TRIB GYPSUM C Kansas Fair 1900 126 26,400
STREAM Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
STREAM Kansas Fair 1900 126 50
SPRING BRANCH TRIB. NO. Kansas Fair 1900 126 1,500
CANE CREEK Kansas Fair 1900 126 25
North Rolling Fork Kentucky Poor 1900 126 20
PTRR (ABANDONED) Maine Fair 1900 126 577

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.