Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge

The Santa Fe Arroyo Seco Railroad Bridge is a steel structure spanning the Arroyo Seco canyon in Highland Park, built to carry trains across the deep ravine. The bridge later adapted its design to support a modern rail transit system that now runs beneath and along its course.

The structure was built in 1896 as a steel bridge, replacing an earlier wooden trestle from 1889 that served the Southern California Railway. Over time it transitioned from freight and passenger rail to supporting a new generation of urban transit.

The bridge earned designation as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument number 339 in 1988 through efforts by the Highland Park Heritage Trust.

The bridge can be viewed from several vantage points along the Arroyo Seco Parkway and offers good opportunities for photographs from a distance. The actual bridge deck is not accessible to the public, so viewing happens from nearby ground level or from passing vehicles.

The span is the tallest and longest railroad viaduct within Los Angeles city limits and one of the few steel structures from its era still operating daily with trains and transit vehicles. Its robust construction has survived nearly 130 years without requiring a complete rebuild.

Location: California

GPS coordinates: 34.11100,-118.18400

Latest update: December 13, 2025 11:46