More historic than 4% of U.S. towns · #808 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Citrus Heights was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1970.
The Citrus Heights post office opened in 1947, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1997. Another post office, Antelope (1877), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 21,760 in 19702020 census: 87,58379 years
How historic is Citrus Heights?
D−
More historic than 4% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Citrus Heights post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1997.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Citrus Heights’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Citrus Heights is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns, #808 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 Citrus Heights’ 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 Citrus Heights’ 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 D. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1997 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Citrus Heights’ 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 Citrus Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1902Fairoaks 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 Citrus Heights.
Citrus Heights voters approved a ballot measure to incorporate as a city on November 5, 1996, effective January 1, 1997. The measure passed, with 62.5% of the votes. The city incorporated on January 2, 1997 (January 1 according to the official city website), becoming the fifth city in Sacramento County. Originally, the community was called Sylvan, but in 1910, a real estate agent bought the area, split it into 10-acre (4.0 ha) lots, and renamed it Citrus Heights.
The Citrus Heights post office opened in 1947, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1997.
How does Citrus Heights rank for history?
Citrus Heights is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns, #808 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 Citrus Heights?
1% of Citrus Heights’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1977.
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) 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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