On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cordes Lakes is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #77 of 140 in Arizona. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cordes Lakes’ overall grade.
Few Arizona towns list much on the Register (a typical Arizona town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cordes Lakes’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (29% of Arizona towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Cordes Lakes’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Cordes Lakes yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Cordes Lakes is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. The Agua Fria National Monument lies to the east and south of the community and Arcosanti is to the north. Cordes Junction, at the intersection of Arizona State Route 69 and I-17, is located within the CDP of Cordes Lakes.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 2,633 in 2010, 2,684 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cordes Junction
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Cordes Lakes’ history
How does Cordes Lakes rank for history?
Cordes Lakes is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #77 of 140 in Arizona. 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.
How old are the homes in Cordes Lakes?
2% of Cordes Lakes’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 0.4% for an Arizona town; the median home was built in 2000.
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 (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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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