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
BERENDO DITCH California Fair 1932 94 372
AWATOBE DITCH California Fair 1932 94 615
SOUTH FORK COYOTE WASH California Poor 1932 94 600
HAVELOCK DITCH California Fair 1932 94 372
ALVIRA DITCH California Fair 1932 94 372
ZINGO DITCH California Good 1932 94 372
BINGO DITCH California Good 1932 94 372
RIMBO DITCH California Fair 1932 94 372
FLEUR DITCH California Good 1932 94 372
GYPSUM DITCH California Good 1932 94 1,872
SANDY DITCH California Good 1932 94 1,872
WINDMILL WASH California Fair 1932 94 510
MARBLE FORK KAWEAH RIVER California Fair 1932 94 50
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Fair 1933 93 23
DEAN CREEK California Fair 1933 93 1,978
HAT CREEK California Fair 1933 93 3,200
PIT RIVER California Fair 1933 93 3,050
FALL RIVER California Fair 1933 93 3,250
SEVEN MILE CREEK California Fair 1933 93 2,025
PAYNES CREEK California Fair 1933 93 350
RATTLESNAKE CREEK California Fair 1933 93 112
BIG DANN CREEK California Fair 1933 93 150
CEDAR CREEK California Good 1933 93 150
ROCKY CREEK California Fair 1933 93 512
MORRISON CREEK California Fair 1933 93 8,900
COLUSA WEIR California Fair 1933 93 1,224
PETALUMA RIVER California Fair 1933 93 16,330
SACRAMENTO RIVER California Fair 1933 93 8,300
MINER SLOUGH California Poor 1933 93 288
DRAINAGE DITCH California Fair 1933 93 2,346
STONE LAKE DRAIN California Fair 1933 93 2,346
ARROYO SAUSAL California Good 1933 93 2,590
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER California Fair 1933 93 19,950
PRIVATE ACCESS California Fair 1933 93 19,950
SAN LORENZO RIVER California Fair 1933 93 21,100
STEVENS CREEK California Fair 1933 93 30,000
COYOTE CREEK California Good 1933 93 14,320
LEWIS CREEK California Fair 1933 93 3,097
WILDCAT CREEK California Fair 1933 93 14,200
KERN RIVER California Good 1933 93 38,000
CANAL LATERAL 29 California Good 1933 93 130,000
STINE CANAL California Good 1933 93 38,000
CALLOWAY CANAL California Good 1933 93 38,000
ADOBE CANYON California Good 1933 93 340
TOPANGA CREEK California Good 1933 93 43,250
ROUTE 1 California Good 1933 93 25,200
SAN GABRIEL RIVER California Good 1933 93 116,500
SAN GABRIEL RIVER California Good 1933 93 2,350
VAN ORNUM CANYON California Good 1933 93 1,850
CARPENTER CANYON California Good 1933 93 1,850

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.