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DHistory
History · Carson

Carson was first counted by the census in 1960

More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #733 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Carson was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1966. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1960.

1960first census
0on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
29famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: The Front Page Online · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Carson began

When was Carson founded?

1960

Carson first appears in the census in 1960. Another post office, Carbondale (1881), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 38,059 in 19602020 census: 95,55866 years

How historic is Carson?

D

More historic than 8% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first census.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Carson’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Carson is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #733 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Carson’s overall grade.
Founding era1960, from the first census: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19403.2% of homes (±0.6) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%C−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 8%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 13%

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 Carson’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 (±0.6 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: the first census (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 Carson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Carson, and 9 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 18968 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1981. Watch Carson change.Famous sons and daughtersKia Stevens, Ashton Sanders and 27 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Carson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Carson’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Another post office, Carbondale, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Avalon VillageBangleDel AmoDoloresDominguezElftmanKeystoneLincoln VillageWatson
Gone or out of use
Goodyear Blimp Base AirportairportLincoln Schoolschool
1cemetery inside Carson
Lincoln Memorial Park

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the map

Carson on the map, 1896 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Carson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Carson on the 1896 USGS mapCarson on the 1924 USGS mapCarson on the 1930 USGS mapCarson on the 1944 USGS mapCarson on the 1951 USGS mapCarson on the 1964 USGS mapCarson on the 1972 USGS mapCarson on the 1981 USGS map1896Redondo 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 Carson.

The story

How Carson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Carson.

Read it all →

For thousands of years before the arrival of the first Europeans, Tongva Indians lived in the area. Carson lies on part of the Spanish land grant Rancho San Pedro, from the King of Spain in 1784. The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum on Alameda Street in Compton (not far from Carson's city limits) is the historic ranch home of the grantees Juan Dominguez and Manuel Dominguez. Carson was named after George Henry Carson, who married a daughter of the Dominguez family in 1857 and managed the rancho.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Carson in 1881

Passages that mention Carson, cut from the printed page as they were published.

So justly celebrated had Buffalo Bill now become that Kit Carson, on his return from Washington City in the fall of 1867, stopped at Flays City to make his acquaintance. Carson was so well pleased with Bill’s appearance and excellent social qualifications that he remained for several days the guest…
Heroes of the plains, or, Lives and wonderful adventures1881 · page 293Read the page →
Read the text

So justly celebrated had Buffalo Bill now become that Kit Carson, on his return from Washington City in the fall of 1867, stopped at Flays City to make his acquaintance. Carson was so well pleased with Bill’s appearance and excellent social qualifications that he remained for several days the guest of the celebrated buffalo killer and scout.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Carson, 1881 to 2001

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1881Post officeThe Carbondale post office opens
  3. 1884Post officeThe Carbondale post office closes
  4. 1885In the archiveHUNTINGTON 1885 Map of that part of the Rancho San Pedro allotted to Manuel Dominguez
  5. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 20th century
  7. 1977Born hereKia Stevens is born here
  8. 1988Born hereDemetrius Shipp Jr. is born here
  9. 1995Born hereAshton Sanders is born here
  10. 21st century
  11. 2001Born hereJosh Christopher is born here
By decade

Carson, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
HUNTINGTON 1885 Map of that part of the Rancho San Pedro allotted to Manuel Dominguez1885HUNTINGTON 1885 Map of that part of the Rancho San Pe…Map
1890s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
Moskwero2022MoskweroCarsonCircuitRoutesPre20202022CarsonCircuitRoutesPre2020CarsonCA Jane Doe LAPD2020CarsonCA Jane Doe LAPDKailyn May2017Kailyn MayCBP and EPA Seize and Re-export More Than 730 Illegal Vehicles, Engines at LA-Long Beach Seaport2015CBP and EPA Seize and Re-export More Than 730 Illegal…CBP and EPA Seize and Re-export More Than 730 Illegal Vehicles, Engines at LA-Long Beach Seaport2015CBP and EPA Seize and Re-export More Than 730 Illegal…Simple Beauty2014Simple BeautyCarson, CA, USA2014Carson, CA, USAGoodyear blimp Spirit of America returning to its base2010Goodyear blimp Spirit of America returning to its baseRare clear air over Torrance2007Rare clear air over Torrance
People over time

Carson, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000196019802000202095,558

Grew from 38,059 people in 1960 to 95,558 in 2020.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Carson’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

29 famous people were born in Carson

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Kia StevensAmerican professional wrestler · b. 1977
Ashton SandersAmerican actor · b. 1995
Demetrius Shipp Jr.American actor · b. 1988
Josh ChristopherAmerican basketball player · b. 2001
Ameer WebbAmerican sprinter · b. 1991
L
Loree MooreAmerican basketball player · b. 1983
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Los Angeles284 historic placesACompton1 historic placeC+Long Beach19 historic placesB+West CarsonIts storyDWest Rancho DominguezIts storyC

Questions about Carson’s history

What year was Carson founded?

The Carson post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1968.

How does Carson rank for history?

Carson is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #733 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 Carson?

3% of Carson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1966.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (11), 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 old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.