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
GLENN-COLUSA CANAL California Fair 1924 102 161
SOUTH YUBA RIVER California Good 1924 102 1,020
SODA SPRINGS CREEK California Fair 1924 102 552
AGUA CALIENTE CREEK California Fair 1924 102 18,600
STUART CREEK California Fair 1924 102 14,200
AUSTIN CREEK California Poor 1924 102 30
SONOMA CREEK California Poor 1924 102 13,900
PENA CREEK California Fair 1924 102 300
STRAWBERRY CREEK California Fair 1924 102 131,000
STEAMBOAT SLOUGH California Fair 1924 102 1,550
UNION HOUSE CREEK California Good 1924 102 39,401
ELDER CREEK California Good 1924 102 36,051
SOUTH BRANCH FLORIN CRK California Good 1924 102 30,724
FLORIN CREEK California Good 1924 102 30,724
MORRISON CREEK TRIBUTARY California Good 1924 102 26,332
MORRISON CREEK California Good 1924 102 23,306
HANGTOWN CREEK California Fair 1924 102 5,000
GARRITY CREEK California Good 1924 102 15,260
SAN MATEO CREEK California Good 1924 102 2,790
BRANCIFORTE CREEK California Fair 1924 102 100,000
WEST BRANCH SARATOGA CRK California Good 1924 102 2,450
STEVENS CREEK California Fair 1924 102 500
GUADALUPE RIVER California Good 1924 102 20,350
CROY CREEK California Fair 1924 102 300
ARROYO CALERO California Good 1924 102 450
T.I.D. UPPER LATERAL #3 California Fair 1924 102 4,713
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Poor 1924 102 4,874
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Poor 1924 102 3,434
T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL California Fair 1924 102 2,100
LATERAL #6 California Fair 1924 102 173
OUTSIDE CANAL California Fair 1924 102 35
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1924 102 400
PORTER SLOUGH California Fair 1924 102 9,500
KERN RIVER California Fair 1924 102 10,600
FLNT CYN CHAN / EQ T California Fair 1924 102 3,672
MORO CREEK California Good 1924 102 37,250
TEMESCAL WASH California Good 1924 102 6,273
MIDDLE FORK SMITH RIVER California Fair 1925 101 3,750
ELK CREEK California Fair 1925 101 40
MATTOLE RIVER California Poor 1925 101 50
ANTELOPE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,225
MIDDLE CREEK California Poor 1925 101 61
PIT RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1925 101 1,800
PIT RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1925 101 1,800
PIT RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1925 101 1,800
PIT RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1925 101 1,800
PIT RIVER OVERFLOW California Fair 1925 101 1,800
PIT RIVER California Fair 1925 101 1,800
JEWETT CREEK California Fair 1925 101 150
JEWETT CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,491

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.