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
WALNUT CR(NEW SALEM RD N Ohio Fair 1900 126 188
T WALNUT CR (C.R. 20) Ohio Poor 1900 126 1,710
WALNUT CR (LEONARD RD NW Ohio Fair 1900 126 140
HAYDEN RUN (HAYDEN RUN) Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,620
ALUM CREEK (CLIFTON AVE) Ohio Good 1900 126 2,190
ALUM CREEK (MAIN STREET) Ohio Fair 1900 126 707
TRIB TO BIG WALNUT CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 100
SL-3 Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,922
BRUSH CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 776
STREAM Ohio Fair 1900 126 200
CHAGRIN RIVER Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,300
DEW DALE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 768
THORP CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 87
SPANGLER CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 283
SHAWNEE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 4,576
SHAWNEE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 260
SHAWNEE CREEK N BRANCH Ohio Poor 1900 126 100
SHAWNEE CREEK N BRANCH Ohio Fair 1900 126 295
SHAWNEE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,819
SHANNON RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
STREAM SKULL FORK Ohio Good 1900 126 157
CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 3,938
Banklick Creek Tributary Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,227
BRANCH MUDDY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 3,727
POLK RUN CK. (W. LOV. RD Ohio Good 1900 126 11,927
CREEK (FOREST RD) Ohio Fair 1900 126 7,165
GREAT MIAMI RIVER (HAR) Ohio Good 1900 126 9,010
GREAT MIAMI RIVER (COL) Ohio Good 1900 126 4,665
CREEK----INH(HOPEWELL RD Ohio Fair 1900 126 700
DUCK CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 200
DUCK CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 17,718
TUNNEL (UNUSED) Ohio Fair 1900 126 16,495
TRIB TO MILL CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 400
TIDERISHI CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 87
HARDY DITCH Ohio Fair 1900 126 485
JOHN LEARN JT Ohio Fair 1900 126 32
HOWARD RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 500
JIM CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
WILDCAT CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 262
MCCOY RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
BLANCHARD RIVER Ohio Poor 1900 126 385
CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 50
HEFLING RUN Ohio Good 1900 126 1
CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 93
NORTH FORK OF SHORTCREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 448
SOUTH FORK OF SHORT CREE Ohio Fair 1900 126 295
SOUTH FORK OF SHORT CREE Ohio Poor 1900 126 295
ELK RUN Ohio Poor 1900 126 50
MIDDLE FORK Ohio Fair 1900 126 209
MIDDLE FORK SHORT CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 501

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.