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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROBINSON CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 75 |
| ROCK CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 10 |
| MILL CREEK | Illinois | Good | 1901 | 125 | 75 |
| MODOC CREEK | Illinois | Good | 1901 | 125 | 25 |
| UNNAMED CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 1,600 |
| BR COPPERAS CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 25 |
| LIVELY CREEK | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 675 |
| DOZA CREEK SOUTH | Illinois | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 175 |
| GOOSE LAKE Ditch | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 850 |
| HARDING DITCH | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 50 |
| KINNEY BRANCH | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 50 |
| BR. RICHLAND CREEK | Illinois | Good | 1901 | 125 | 25 |
| CN RR | Illinois | Good | 1901 | 125 | 50 |
| BR ELKHORN CR | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 250 |
| Meridosia Ditch | Illinois | Poor | 1901 | 125 | — |
| BR KISHWAUKEE RIVER | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 75 |
| CN RR | Illinois | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 1,150 |
| OLD ERIE CANAL | Indiana | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 1,091 |
| OLD ERIE CANAL | Indiana | Good | 1901 | 125 | 134 |
| LOEFLER DITCH | Indiana | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 100 |
| BRANCH OF HURRICANE CR | Indiana | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 105 |
| BIG WALNUT CREEK | Indiana | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 240 |
| LITTLE FLATROCK RIVER | Indiana | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 1 |
| PARADISE CREEK | Kansas | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 90 |
| POLE CAT CREEK | Kansas | Good | 1901 | 125 | 50 |
| EAST BRANCH WALNUT RIVER | Kansas | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 75 |
| E. BRANCH WALNUT RIVER | Kansas | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 5 |
| BURNT CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 24 |
| WALNUT CREEK | Kansas | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 5 |
| DRAINAGE CHANNEL | Kansas | Good | 1901 | 125 | 184 |
| DRAINAGE CHANNEL | Kansas | Good | 1901 | 125 | 184 |
| TRIB TO GUNPOWDER CREEK | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 4,500 |
| Allens fork Creek | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 2,474 |
| ROSETTA CREEK | Kentucky | Good | 1901 | 125 | 19,065 |
| CSX RAILROAD | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 418 |
| CSX RAILROAD | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 418 |
| Williams Creek | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 447 |
| Left Fork Middle Creek | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 260 |
| Spurlock Creek | Kentucky | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 260 |
| Taylors Fork Creek | Kentucky | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 50 |
| MID FORK BEARGRASS CREEK | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 11,937 |
| _MIDDLE FORK | Kentucky | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 37 |
| Pope Creek | Kentucky | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 30 |
| MAGALLOWAY RIVER | Maine | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 42 |
| MOUSAM RIVER | Maine | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 6,840 |
| PENNAMAQUAN RIVER | Maine | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 515 |
| SOKOKIS LAKE OUTLET | Maine | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 3,786 |
| ABANDONED RAILROAD | Maryland | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 3,110 |
| RR MBTA | Massachusetts | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 13,400 |
| RR MBTA | Massachusetts | Good | 1901 | 125 | 10,000 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg 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.