Historic Bridges

94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,381 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
Turner Tee Creek - Wash. Arkansas Fair 1860 166 2,163
OREGON CREEK California Good 1860 166 60
NAPA CREEK California Fair 1860 166 5,972
NORWALK RIVER Connecticut Good 1860 166 13,800
NONEWAUG RIVER Connecticut Good 1860 166 394
FIVE MILE RIVER Connecticut Fair 1860 166 1,400
BIG SHAWNEE Creek Indiana Fair 1860 166 120
FISHING CREEK Maryland Fair 1860 166 298
BIG ELK CREEK Maryland Fair 1860 166 10
WATER BACK RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1860 166 9,200
WATER NORTH CANAL Massachusetts Poor 1860 166 18,300
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Good 1860 166 22,500
WATER LITTLE RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1860 166 3,400
WATER STONY BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1860 166 3,600
PERRY STREAM New Hampshire Poor 1860 166 191
PAULINS KILL New Jersey Fair 1860 166 167
MUSCONETCONG RIVER New Jersey Good 1860 166 388
PED BET 61ST&62ST New York Fair 1860 166 397
PED OPP 63RD ST New York Fair 1860 166 498
PEDESTRIAN WALK New York Fair 1860 166 133
FEEDER TO LAKE New York Fair 1860 166 231
WILLOWEMOC CREEK New York Fair 1860 166 199
GREAT MIAMI RIVER Ohio Fair 1860 166 324
SWAMP CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 595
MILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 900
BRANCH BRANDYWINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 2,283
POWELLS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1860 166 6,935
PINE CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1860 166 320
Conococheague Creek Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 2,696
PEQUEA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 400
JORDAN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1860 166 200
LOWER LITTLE SWATARA CR Pennsylvania Good 1860 166 50
LOWER LITTLE SWATARA CR Pennsylvania Good 1860 166 50
SUGAR Creek Indiana Good 1861 165 454
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1861 165 40,200
RR MBTA Massachusetts Fair 1861 165 2,200
WATER IPSWICH RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1861 165 2,700
WATER IPSWICH RIVER Massachusetts Poor 1861 165 2,700
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1861 165 9,000
KILL BROOK AQUEDUCT New York Fair 1861 165 1,068
ISRAEL RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1862 164 750
UPPER AMMONOOSUC RIVER New Hampshire Good 1862 164 379
ASHUELOT RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1862 164 792
BRIDLE OPP 64 ST New York Fair 1862 164 397
NR CONCERT GRNDS New York Good 1862 164 15
PED WALK OPP 73ST New York Fair 1862 164 220
PED WALK OPP 82ST New York Fair 1862 164 231
LA MINA RIVER Puerto Rico Fair 1862 164 10,300
BUREAU CREEK Illinois Poor 1863 163 275
ANTIETAM CREEK Maryland Good 1863 163 580

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
Virgin Islands 5 1904 112 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.