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
TRIBUTARY OF BRUSH RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 283
INDIANFIELD RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 263
TRIB.N. BR KOKOSING RIVE Ohio Fair 1900 126 231
COLEMAN BRANCH Ohio Fair 1900 126 179
N BRANCH KOKOSING RIVER Ohio Good 1900 126 118
FLAT RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 426
JELLOWAY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
HONEY RUN Ohio Poor 1900 126 40
TRIB OF WAKATOMIKA CR Ohio Fair 1900 126 40
INDIANFIELD RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
KOKOSING RIVER Ohio Poor 1900 126 355
GRANNY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 40
N FORK LICKING RIVER Ohio Fair 1900 126 100
STREAM Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
STREAM Ohio Good 1900 126 911
ARCOLA CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,647
TRIB OF MILL CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 50
MARSH CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 300
MARSH CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 300
CHAGRIN RIVER Ohio Fair 1900 126 480
LITTLE GVYAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 240
SLAB FORK CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 479
JOHNS CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 248
BRANCH OF ELKINS CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 73
AARONS CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 73
BIG ICE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,823
ICE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 873
PADDY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 667
SOLIDA CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,090
LITTLE BUFFALO CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 714
SYMMES CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,209
SOLIDA CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 2,090
SYMMES CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 168
LITTLE STORMS CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,219
LEATHERWOOD CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 294
ICE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 178
BUCKEYE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
SLAB FORK Ohio Fair 1900 126 95
NEDS FORK CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 190
INDIAN GUYAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 390
PADDY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 862
LONG CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
BENT CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 508
CHARLEY CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 1,291
UNKNOWN STREAM Ohio Poor 1900 126 374
BENT CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 190
NORMANS RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 695
LITTLE ICE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
BUFFALO CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 34
BIG BRANCH CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 198

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.