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
BRAZOS RIVER Texas Fair 1901 125 3,552
LEWIS CREEK Virginia Fair 1901 125 4,700
LEWIS CREEK Virginia Fair 1901 125 4,700
Sugar Run West Virginia Fair 1901 125 300
CSX RAILROAD West Virginia Poor 1901 125 100
BIG CREEK West Virginia Fair 1901 125 150
FOX RIVER Wisconsin Fair 1901 125 590
BR BADGER MILL CREEK Wisconsin Fair 1901 125 10
SALTILLO CREEK Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 3,100
SALTILLO CREEK Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 3,100
DEPRESSION Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 3,500
QUEBRADA CAMINO GUAYO Puerto Rico Good 1901 125 2,900
QUEBRADA Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 2,700
CAGUAS REAL GOLF Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 500
RIO TURABO GOLF CART Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 500
CREEK TO RIO TURBADO Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 500
Stream Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 500
STREAM Puerto Rico Poor 1901 125 4,500
STREAM Puerto Rico Good 1901 125 4,500
STREAM Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 2,000
STREAM Puerto Rico Good 1901 125 17,300
RIO TORO NEGRO Puerto Rico Poor 1901 125 100
RIO DUEY Puerto Rico Poor 1901 125 200
RIO CAÑAS Puerto Rico Poor 1901 125 35,200
_ Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 15,500
RIO CULEBRINAS Puerto Rico Poor 1901 125 5,900
RIO DUEY Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 600
STREAM Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 941
_ Puerto Rico Fair 1901 125 600
LAUREL CREEK Alabama Fair 1902 124 87
HALLS CREEK Alabama Fair 1902 124 70
TRINITY RIVER California Good 1902 124 751
GARNETT CREEK California Poor 1902 124 12,000
YORK CREEK California Good 1902 124 20,000
WOODS CREEK California Fair 1902 124 11,500
SAN MATEO CREEK California Fair 1902 124 230
SARATOGA CREEK California Fair 1902 124 2,450
SHOOKS RUN Colorado Poor 1902 124 18,034
ROCK CREEK District of Columbia Fair 1902 124 13,100
YELLOW RIVER Georgia Fair 1902 124 18,106
FIGLEY CRK Illinois Good 1902 124 50
LONG BRANCH Illinois Poor 1902 124 50
N BR CHICAGO RIV Illinois Poor 1902 124 18,600
JACKSON PK LAGOON Illinois Fair 1902 124 14,200
STREAM Illinois Fair 1902 124 25
BIG BLUE RIVER Indiana Poor 1902 124 2,305
MOUREY DRAIN Indiana Fair 1902 124 104
MISSISSINEWA RIVER Indiana Poor 1902 124 600
WHITE RIVER Indiana Good 1902 124 280
WEST FORK OF KEG CREEK Indiana Fair 1902 124 80

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.