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
CABIN JOHN CREEK Maryland Fair 1863 163 12,300
ASHUELOT RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1863 163 1,167
KILLBUCK CREEK Ohio Poor 1863 163 564
TROUT RIVER Vermont Good 1863 163 450
RR PCRR (ABANDONED) Massachusetts Fair 1864 162 400
ASHUELOT RIVER New Hampshire Good 1864 162 821
Sherman Creek Pennsylvania Fair 1864 162 159
24TH STREET Pennsylvania Good 1864 162 8,914
LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS Maryland Fair 1865 161 548
TRUMANSBURG CREEK New York Fair 1865 161 8,994
ORISKANY CREEK New York Fair 1865 161 3,950
GENESEE RIVER New York Fair 1865 161 10,665
BLACK RIVER CANAL New York Fair 1865 161 4
WILLOWEMOC CREEK New York Fair 1865 161
BEAVER KILL New York Fair 1865 161 48
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 454
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1865 161 4,303
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 21
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1865 161 370
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1865 161 40
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1865 161 1,716
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 1,167
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 301
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 76
OLD ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1865 161 742
VALLEY CR. 3365-G7 Pennsylvania Fair 1865 161 1,604
ROARING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1865 161
PASCOAG RIVER Rhode Island Poor 1865 161 5,800
OTTER CREEK Vermont Fair 1865 161 700
MILL BROOK Vermont Fair 1865 161 600
BLACK CREEK Vermont Good 1865 161 130
OTTAUQUECHEE RIVER Vermont Fair 1865 161 500
CONNECTICUT RIVER New Hampshire Poor 1866 160 2,722
SHAWNEE CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1866 160 50
FRENCH CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1866 160 3,524
CONNECTICUT RIVER Vermont Poor 1866 160 2,655
BIG RACCOON Creek Indiana Poor 1867 159 95
OHIO RIVER Kentucky Poor 1867 159 9,054
FLAT RIVER Michigan Fair 1867 159 144
SECOND RIVER New Jersey Fair 1867 159 1,462
ROBINSON BR RAHWAY RIVER New Jersey Fair 1867 159 26,650
GRAND RIVER Ohio Good 1867 159 1,392
US27 & OHIO RIVER Ohio Fair 1867 159 9,054
ISLAND RUN Ohio Fair 1867 159 209
DUNNING CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1867 159 60
FRENCH CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1867 159 3,326
VALLEY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1867 159 1,831
CONESTOGA RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1867 159 425
VANDERMARK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1867 159 50
OMPOMPANOOSUC RIVER Vermont Good 1867 159 530

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.