Bella Vista dates to 2006, and 11 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #103 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Most of Bella Vista was built recently: 0.6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1996. Below: maps from 1971 on and the census since 1980.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1897.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bella Vista’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bella Vista is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #103 of 123 in Arkansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bella Vista’s overall grade.
Arkansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Arkansas town has 20.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bella Vista’s 3.5 sits below most of its state (31% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 11 listings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 2006.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bella Vista’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area now encompassed by Bella Vista was used by groups of Osage and Delaware who utilized the area for seasonal hunting grounds. A prominent rock shelter known as Hay Bluff along US 71 was used by various groups in the area and remains an important archaeological site, before later being used by early settlers to store hay. The area was established as a primitive summer resort in 1909 by a Bentonville minister who envisioned golf, tennis, and inexpensive lots for summer cabins. In 1915, Lake Bella Vista was created by damming Little Sugar Creek. By 1916, the resort was sold to the Linebarger Brothers Realty Company, who further developed the resort to include more amenities, including the Sunset Hotel and Wonderland Cave nightclub. Early cabins recognized on the National Register of Historic Places include Blackwell-Paisley Cabin, Bogan Cabin, Hagler-Cole Cabin, Lamberton Cabin, Pha…
In 2006, according to Wikidata. Bella Vista’s post office opened in 1897, and the census of 1980 counted 2,589 people here.
How does Bella Vista rank for history?
Bella Vista is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #103 of 123 in Arkansas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bella Vista?
11 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Blackwell-Paisley Cabin (listed 1988, the first), 1 site, and 1 structure.
How old are the homes in Bella Vista?
0.6% of Bella Vista’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1996.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (11), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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