More than 12,000 covered bridges have dotted the American landscape, with approximately 3,500 in Ohio. Currently, there are over 125 historic wooden covered bridges in the state of Ohio with many still in use, making Ohio second to Pennsylvania in remaining covered bridges. All over America concrete and steel have replaced instead of repairing the structures that are so vital to our historical past.

Ashtabula County, alone, has 19 covered bridges. Fairfield County has 18 covered bridges. Ohio is also home to the Smolen–Gulf Bridge, at 613 feet, currently, the longest multi-span-covered bridge in the United States. Whereas, the West Liberty Covered Bridge, at 18 feet, has been called the shortest covered bridge in the United States.

Today many of Ohio's still existing bridges have had extensive reconstruction. Some of Ohio's covered bridges can still be driven across. In Ashtabula County, they are still building new covered bridges as part of an ongoing program that highlights our heritage with Ohio's future.

Many of Ohio's covered bridges are located off the major highways and roads while some have small parks and picnic tables alongside them.

Ashtabula County has made a tourist industry of its covered bridges. Not only does the county have the largest number of covered bridges in the state, but it also owns the longest covered bridge in the country, the Smolen-Gulf Bridge, and the shortest. Every fall Ashtabula County hosts a Covered Bridge Festival that features all 19 of their covered bridges.

From the longest at over 613 feet long to the shortest (18 feet long) and every size and shape in between, covered bridges cover the state of Ohio.

Fairfield County, southeast of Columbus, has the largest number of original covered bridges in Ohio with 17 bridges.

Preble County has eight covered bridges still standing and the oldest covered bridge in Ohio. Throughout the 19th Century, from 1829 until 1896, 29 covered bridges were built in Preble County, Ohio. Some were built for turnpikes, one for the railroad, one by a private enterprise, and some to replace original bridges destroyed by a devastating storm in May 1886.

​On June 23, 2012, over 100 years since the last covered bridge was built, the all-new Hueston Woods Covered Bridge was dedicated. This bridge is a Burr Arch truss construction similar to the Roberts Bridge, and it has a span of 108 feet over Four Mile Creek in Hueston Woods State Park.

Down from 3,500, the historic covered bridge that Ohioans have enjoyed over the centuries is quickly disappearing.

Photographs from the summer of 2022.