Campbell dates to 1826, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #70 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Campbell was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1885.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Campbell’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Campbell is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #70 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Campbell’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 Campbell’s 2.6 sits above most of its state (82% of California towns have fewer) while its 11 historic buildings outnumber those of 76% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1826.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Campbell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Campbell. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1889San Jose sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Campbell.
Every building
Campbell, building by building, 1899–1920
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Prior to the founding of the neighborhood of Campbell, the land was occupied by the Ohlone, the Native American people of the Northern California coast.
About a third of present-day Campbell was part of the 1839 Alta California Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos land grant. The northern extent of the grant land was along present-day Rincon Avenue, and across the north end of John D. Morgan Park in central Campbell.
In 1826, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Campbell’s post office opened in 1885, and the census of 1960 counted 11,863 people here.
How does Campbell rank for history?
Campbell is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #70 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.
What is on the National Register in Campbell?
5 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Campbell Union Grammar School (listed 1979, the first). 11 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Campbell?
3% of Campbell’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 1972.
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 (8), the Library of Congress (3), Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.
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