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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 1,363 |
| NO BRANCH ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 136 |
| LEHIGH VALLEY LINE | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 168 |
| S.BRANCH RARITAN RIVER | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 616 |
| ALEXAUKEN CREEK | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 67 |
| NISHISAKAWICK CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 100 |
| NESHANIC RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 208 |
| HAKIHOKAKE CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 180 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1,147 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,904 |
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 103 |
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 392 |
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 392 |
| ROCKAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 11 |
| STONY BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 17,410 |
| ASSUNPINK CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 6,170 |
| FIDDLERS CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,675 |
| Trib of Moores Creek | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 541 |
| AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 15,867 |
| AMBROSE BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 3,295 |
| PORT READING SEC CONRAIL | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 17,720 |
| MANASQUAN RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,891 |
| OCEANPORT CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 5,328 |
| MCGELLIARDS BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 10,037 |
| MOHINGSON BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 10,360 |
| INDIAN RUN | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 539 |
| SCHOOLHOUSE BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 809 |
| MIRY RUN | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 809 |
| MIRY RUN | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 968 |
| LAHAWAY CREEK | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 350 |
| CROSSWICKS CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 281 |
| CRANE CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,758 |
| TRIBUTARY TO ROCKY BROOK | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 2,927 |
| JUMPING BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 6,517 |
| WHIPPANY RIVER | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 13,169 |
| ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 8,583 |
| TRIB TO ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 14,084 |
| MALAPARDIS BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 12,442 |
| DEN BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 656 |
| WHIPPANY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 3,848 |
| BEAVER BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 5,114 |
| TRIB TO ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,079 |
| RUSSIA BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 6,975 |
| ROCKAWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 12,322 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 113 |
| SO.BRANCH RARITAN RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,668 |
| DRAKES BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,277 |
| BLACK RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 148 |
| ROCKWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 37,033 |
| DEN BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 19,890 |
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.