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
SOUTH FORK JACKSON CREEK California Fair 1925 101 800
JACKSON CREEK California Poor 1925 101 800
BIG INDIAN CREEK California Poor 1925 101 26
PIGEON CREEK California Poor 1925 101 26
MULE CREEK California Poor 1925 101 260
LITTLE INDIAN CREEK California Good 1925 101 103
NORTH FORK JACKSON CREEK California Fair 1925 101 30
SUTTER CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,800
RANCHERIA CREEK California Poor 1925 101 25
TOMASINI CANYON California Fair 1925 101 2,300
MILLER CREEK California Fair 1925 101 980
ABANDONED NWP RR ROW California Fair 1925 101 1,570
ARROYO DEL HAMBRE California Good 1925 101 5,500
MOSHER SLOUGH California Good 1925 101 15,859
BEAR CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1925 101 8,850
TEMPLE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 2,194
WILLOW CREEK California Poor 1925 101 256
TURNBACK CREEK California Fair 1925 101 150
CURTIS CREEK California Fair 1925 101 265
FIVE MILE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 55
ROSE CREEK California Poor 1925 101 20
EAGLE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 20
ARROYO MOCHO California Fair 1925 101 1,930
SAN LORENZO CREEK California Good 1925 101 2,878
STONY BROOK California Good 1925 101 570
STONY BROOK California Good 1925 101 570
SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK California Good 1925 101 24,200
HIGH BRIDGE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,350
UPPER PENITENCIA CREEK California Good 1925 101 500
LLAGAS CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,780
LLAGAS CREEK California Fair 1925 101 1,780
LITTLE ARTHUR CREEK California Good 1925 101 80
LITTLE ARTHUR CREEK California Fair 1925 101 400
LITTLE ARTHUR CREEK California Good 1925 101 400
PENITENCIA CREEK California Fair 1925 101 690
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1925 101 11,776
DRY CREEK California Fair 1925 101 232
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1925 101 13,888
T.I.D. CERES MAIN CANAL California Fair 1925 101 9,842
T.I.D. LOWER LATERAL #4 California Poor 1925 101 5,844
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1925 101 3,776
M.I.D. LATERAL #5 California Fair 1925 101 939
PATTERSON ID MAIN CANAL California Good 1925 101 960
M.I.D. LATERAL #6 California Fair 1925 101 1,345
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Poor 1925 101 1,873
M.I.D. LATERAL #5 California Fair 1925 101 449
DRY CREEK TRIBUTARY California Fair 1925 101 52
M.I.D. LATERAL #3 California Fair 1925 101 1,500
M.I.D. LATERAL #7 California Poor 1925 101 4,684
M.I.D. LATERAL #7 California Fair 1925 101 4,347

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.