Historic Bridges in California

4,414 bridges built before 1951 in California still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 4,414 bridges in California 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.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
SANTA ROSA CREEK California Fair 1920 106 11,900
NATHANSON CREEK California Fair 1920 106 1,000
FOWLER CREEK California Fair 1920 106 3,300
TANNERY CREEK California Fair 1920 106 100
FOSS CREEK California Fair 1920 106 1,830
GARNETT CREEK BRANCH California Fair 1920 106 12,000
DRY CREEK California Poor 1920 106 2,490
ETICUERA CREEK California Fair 1920 106 370
CONN CREEK California Fair 1920 106 740
NAPA CREEK California Fair 1920 106 3,400
BRETONA CREEK California Good 1920 106 22,400
OVERFLOW DITCH California Good 1920 106 1,256
ZAMORA DITCH California Good 1920 106 1,724
WINTERS CANAL California Good 1920 106 450
DEVILS GULCH California Fair 1920 106 3,000
RODEO CREEK California Fair 1920 106 20,250
SAN PABLO CREEK California Good 1920 106 6,000
SHELL OIL CO PIPE UC California Fair 1920 106 14,000
TEMPLE CREEK California Fair 1920 106 100
ANGELS CREEK California Fair 1920 106 78
SONORA CREEK California Fair 1920 106 2,000
WOODS CREEK California Fair 1920 106 4,149
ALAMEDA CREEK TRIBUTARY California Fair 1920 106 35,700
PULGAS CREEK California Good 1920 106 7,000
EL CORTE DE MADERA CRK California Fair 1920 106 16
ALPINE CREEK California Fair 1920 106 91
SAN MATEO CREEK California Good 1920 106 2,890
SAN MATEO CREEK California Good 1920 106 1,830
SAN LORENZO RIVER California Fair 1920 106 500
CASSERLY CREEK TRIB NO 2 California Poor 1920 106 500
STEVENS CREEK California Fair 1920 106 4,509
LOS GATOS CREEK California Fair 1920 106 8,270
PERMANENTE CREEK California Fair 1920 106 4,000
MIGUELITA CREEK California Fair 1920 106 740
WRIGLEY FORD CREEK California Poor 1920 106 10
DUCK CREEK California Fair 1920 106 4,900
DRY CREEK California Fair 1920 106 123
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 6,302
CLARIBEL LATERAL California Poor 1920 106 4,100
SSJID CANAL California Fair 1920 106 3,774
SALADO CREEK California Good 1920 106 8,770
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 1,611
M.I.D. LATERAL #5 California Fair 1920 106 300
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Good 1920 106 2,102
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 1,500
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 336
PATTERSON ID MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 377
T.I.D. LATERAL #5 California Fair 1920 106 1,738
T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL California Fair 1920 106 3,669
T.I.D. LOWER LATERAL #2 California Fair 1920 106 86

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.