More historic than 15% of U.S. towns · #592 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Baldwin Park was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1964. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1894 on, and the census since 1960.
From Baldwin Park’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Baldwin Park began, and where its name came from
When was Baldwin Park founded?
1907
The Baldwin Park post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Vineland (1887), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 33,951 in 19602020 census: 72,176119 years
How did Baldwin Park get its name?
Baldwin Park was named after Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin.
How historic is Baldwin Park?
D
More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Baldwin Park is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #592 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Baldwin Park’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Baldwin Park’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Baldwin Park’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Baldwin Park began as part of cattle grazing land belonging to the San Gabriel Mission. It eventually became part of the Rancho Azusa de Dalton and the Rancho La Puente properties. The community became known as Vineland in 1860. By 1906, it changed to Baldwin Park. It was named after Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin. In 1956, Baldwin Park became the 47th incorporated city in the State of California.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Baldwin Park post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Baldwin Park rank for history?
Baldwin Park is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #592 of 847 in California. 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 Baldwin Park?
7% of Baldwin Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1964.
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 (7), the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
Date?
2020
2020
2017
2017
2017
2012