Our articles on America's covered bridges, grouped by what you want to know: why they were built, which ones hold the records, how the trusses work, and where to go see them. For the full directory of 770 bridges, browse all covered bridges by state or by truss type.

Start here

• Why America Fell for the Covered Bridge: they were built to protect the timber, not for charm.
• America Didn't Invent the Covered Bridge: the oldest one standing is Swiss and the longest is Canadian.

Records

• The Longest Covered Bridges in America: the top 10 by length, led by Ohio's 613 ft Smolen-Gulf Covered Bridge.
• The Oldest Covered Bridge in America: four bridges in three states claim the title.
• Every State's Last Surviving Covered Bridge: the states down to one or two covered bridges.
• The Longest Wooden Bridge in the World Is a California Swimming Hole

Trips

• Washington County, Pennsylvania: 23 Covered Bridges Southwest of Pittsburgh: small farm-road bridges, two of them in Mingo Creek County Park.
• Lancaster County Covered Bridges: four driving loops through Pennsylvania's Amish country.
• The Best Covered Bridges to See This Fall
• Covered Bridges You Can Still Drive Through
• Why the West's Covered Bridge Country Is in Oregon

How they were built

• Theodore Burr Died Broke. His Bridges Are Still Standing.: the Burr arch truss.
• Ithiel Town Sold Bridges by the Foot: the Town lattice truss.
• The Howe Truss: How a Few Iron Rods Changed the Covered Bridge

Stories

• The Real Bridges of Madison County: is it a true story, and which bridges are real.
• The Bridge Lee's Army Crossed to Get Home
• The Bridge That Burned in Nine Minutes
• Arson, Floods, and Box Trucks: How America Keeps Losing Covered Bridges

Bridge profiles

• Taftsville Bridge: Vermont's Two-Year Detour
• Comstock's Bridge: Connecticut's Little Howe Truss on the Salmon River

All posts, newest first, are on the blog.