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
YANKEE SLOUGH California Fair 1935 91 100
DOTY RAVINE California Fair 1935 91 789
"S" CREEK (JEFFERSON CR) California Fair 1935 91 50
HUMBUG CREEK California Fair 1935 91 5,800
SHINGLE MILL CR (OHLSON) California Fair 1935 91 300
LYTTON SPRINGS CREEK California Good 1935 91 2,800
DUTCH BILL CREEK California Fair 1935 91 2,100
COLLEGE CREEK California Fair 1935 91 26,000
MATANZAS CREEK California Fair 1935 91 12,000
SANTA ROSA CREEK California Fair 1935 91 14,600
PRUITT CREEK California Fair 1935 91 2,900
SONOMA CREEK California Fair 1935 91 250
ALAMO CREEK California Good 1935 91 21,910
LEDGEWOOD CREEK California Fair 1935 91 2,634
OLD ALAMO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 543
BAT CREEK California Fair 1935 91 300
MOUND SPRINGS CREEK California Fair 1935 91 4,351
SAUSALITO ROAD California Good 1935 91 106,000
NOVATO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 7,153
SAN ANSELMO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 3,000
SAN ANSELMO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 9,000
SAN ANSELMO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 12,000
DRAIN B California Fair 1935 91 709
DRAIN A California Good 1935 91 427
SAN DOMINGO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 96
UP RR BNSF RY AMTRAK ETC California Fair 1935 91 73,800
W80-FREMONT ST OFF RAMP California Good 1935 91 140,274
SAN MATEO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 30,250
VALENCIA CREEK California Fair 1935 91 3,000
SARATOGA CREEK California Good 1935 91 3,891
CALABAZAS CREEK California Fair 1935 91 1,529
LAGUNA SECA CREEK California Fair 1935 91 21,050
GUADALUPE RIVER California Good 1935 91 2,140
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 139
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 288
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 240
DEL PUERTO CREEK California Fair 1935 91 949
SHIRLEY CREEK California Fair 1935 91 37
S SAN JOAQUIN ID DITCH California Good 1935 91 182
TURLOCK CANAL California Fair 1935 91 65,000
MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 1,451
DUCK SLOUGH California Good 1935 91 719
HIGH LINE WASTEWAY California Fair 1935 91 400
EL CAPITAN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 500
SOUTH SLOUGH California Fair 1935 91 128
MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 56
SNOW CREEK California Poor 1935 91 360
SUMMIT CREEK California Fair 1935 91 960
CITY CANAL California Good 1935 91 13,700
LITTLE PANOCHE CREEK California Fair 1935 91 230

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.