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
SYMMES CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 96
LITTLE GUYAN CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 96
PINE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 451
INDIAN GUYAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 122
FIVE MILE CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 211
STORMS CREEK Ohio Poor 1900 126 100
Clear Fork Creek Ohio Good 1900 126 73
Trib of South Fork Ohio Poor 1900 126 1,289
Otter Fork Ohio Poor 1900 126 209
Trib of Brushy Fork Ohio Poor 1900 126 92
NORTH FORK Ohio Good 1900 126 7,231
INDIAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 173
RUSH CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 136
BRANDYWINE CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 141
S FORK MIAMI RIVER Ohio Good 1900 126 643
CUMMINS-HARBOUR DITCH Ohio Fair 1900 126 376
BOKENGEHALAS CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 293
SHARP CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 367
HOUCHINS SLOUGH Ohio Good 1900 126 588
French Ck Ohio Fair 1900 126 9,500
WELLINTON CR CEMETARY Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
CHARLEMONT CR CLARK RD Ohio Fair 1900 126 125
VERMILION RIVER DEAN Ohio Fair 1900 126 324
WILLOW CR DURKEE RD. Ohio Fair 1900 126 381
CREEK GIFFORD RD. Ohio Poor 1900 126 300
DITCH HALLAUER RD. Ohio Fair 1900 126 548
BARBER DITCH HALLAUER RD Ohio Fair 1900 126 548
WELLINGTON CR JONES Ohio Good 1900 126 212
Brownhelm Creek Ohio Good 1900 126 1,380
BEAVER CR NORTH RDG RD. Ohio Good 1900 126 6,765
BUCK CREEK QUARRY RD. Ohio Fair 1900 126 155
CROW CREEK SHORT RD. Ohio Good 1900 126 797
W.B.BLACK RV STEWART Ohio Fair 1900 126 46
EAST CREEK STOCKING Ohio Good 1900 126 485
BRENTWOOD LK WATERFALL Ohio Poor 1900 126 100
DITCH WHITEHEAD RD. Ohio Good 1900 126 324
MARTINS RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 3,295
MILLS CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 7,403
WB BLACK RIV LAKE AVE Ohio Fair 1900 126 5,041
DRY RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 3,650
E BRNH MDLE FK BEAVER CR Ohio Fair 1900 126 136
MILL CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 385
TURKEY BROTH CREEK Ohio Good 1900 126 185
FISH CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 351
A W TRIBUTARY OF MILL CR Ohio Good 1900 126 300
MILL CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 300
BR OVER PRAIRIE RUN Ohio Fair 1900 126 145
BR OVER THOMPSON DT Ohio Fair 1900 126 145
BR OVER ENOCH CREEK Ohio Fair 1900 126 151
BR OVER CARROLL DITCH Ohio Fair 1900 126 46

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.