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
PIPE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 962
CAPTINA CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 177
CAT HOLLOW Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
NORTH FORK CAPTINA CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 209
WHEELING CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 734
BR EAGLE CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 96
BEETLE CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 385
LITTLE STERLING RUN Ohio Good 1900 126 500
Darrs Run Ohio Good 1900 126 401
STREAM Ohio Fair 1900 126 780
LEES CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 690
MUTTON RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,300
PANTHER RUN Ohio Good 1900 126 951
STREAM Ohio Good 1900 126 947
RAMSEY STRAIGHT Ohio Good 1900 126 96
PLEASANT VAL RUN CEM 20 Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
LICK RUN BUCHANAN Ohio Good 1900 126 209
G.T.W.RAILROAD Ohio Good 1900 126 8,694
ADDISON-NC O WF HONEY CK Ohio Fair 1900 126 242
DETRICK JORDON O EF DONN Ohio Good 1900 126 785
UPPER VALLEY & CHAPMAN C Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,814
TREMONT CITY OV MOORES R Ohio Good 1900 126 1,275
BALDWIN LN O BUCK CRK Ohio Fair 1900 126 246
NEER RD OV BUCK CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 173
VERNON ASBURY O BR BUCK Ohio Fair 1900 126 353
PLEASANT CHAPEL & BR BCK Ohio Good 1900 126 356
REBERT PK O BR MILL CRK Ohio Good 1900 126 735
BIRD RD OV CONN RR Ohio Good 1900 126 2,750
NEW CARLISLE PK & BR DON Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,266
ENON-XENIA RD O MUD RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,586
ENON RD OVER MAD RIVER Ohio Fair 1900 126 7,618
JACKSON RD & NE LT MIAMI Ohio Good 1900 126 275
NAGLEY RD O BR LIT MIAMI Ohio Good 1900 126 485
N RIVER RD O BR LT MIAMI Ohio Fair 1900 126 399
INDIANA & OHIO RR Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,768
STONELICK CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 977
TWELVE MILE CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 477
NINEMILE CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 3,739
NINEMILE Ohio Fair 1900 126 3,739
MOORES FORK Ohio Fair 1900 126 284
CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 9,668
INDIAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 139
BULLSKIN Ohio Poor 1900 126 477
FIVEMILE CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 124
PATTERSON RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 491
MAPLE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 211
STREAM Ohio Poor 1900 126 5,418
SHAYLER RUN Ohio Good 1900 126 5,418
HALL RUN Ohio Poor 1900 126 3,809
SLICKAWAY RUN Ohio Good 1900 126 477

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.