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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAKES BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 113 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 11,766 |
| PASSAIC RIVER | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 11,913 |
| MOLLY ANNS BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 68,292 |
| PECKMAN RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 9,032 |
| POST BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 8,061 |
| GAEDE BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,140 |
| CUCKELS BROOK | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 520 |
| INDIAN GROVE BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,304 |
| PAULINS KILL | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,799 |
| PAULINS KILL | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,799 |
| WALLKILL RIVER | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 1,791 |
| WEST BR.PAPAKATING CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,274 |
| CLOVE BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,255 |
| GREEN BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,167 |
| ROBINSON BRANCH RAH RIV | New Jersey | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 16,566 |
| RAHWAY RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 8,335 |
| POPHANDUSING CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 65 |
| BLAIR CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 1,540 |
| MERRILLS CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 3,671 |
| PAULINS KILL | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 194 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 562 |
| POHATCONG CREEK | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 209 |
| POHATCONG CREEK | New Jersey | Good | 1900 | 126 | 1,051 |
| PEQUEST RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 6,497 |
| TRIB POPHANDUSING CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,978 |
| MUSCONETCONG RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 108 |
| CEDAR CREEK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 9 |
| BIG FLAT BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 64 |
| BIG FLAT BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 31 |
| BIG FLAT BROOK | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 56 |
| DELAWARE RIVER | New Jersey | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,629 |
| ALLEN CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 101,500 |
| Mill Pond Outlet | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 2,148 |
| POESTEN KILL | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 2,267 |
| KENYONTOWN CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4 |
| CAROGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 30 |
| MILL CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 28 |
| CANADA CREEK | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 111 |
| WEST BR MOHAWK RIVER | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1 |
| SCONONDOA CREEK | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 19 |
| STONY CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 93 |
| MOHAWK RIVER | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 599 |
| STERLING CREEK | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 1 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 4,104 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 562 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 9,567 |
| SAGE CREEK | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 88 |
| BRADNER CREEK | New York | Fair | 1900 | 126 | 7 |
| TB TWENTYMILE CRK | New York | Poor | 1900 | 126 | 4 |
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.