On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Colma is more historic than 30% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Colma’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 Colma’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 C− to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.4 points).
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 Colma’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 Colma. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1896San Mateo 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 Colma.
Places that used to be
Places now gone and burying grounds
Gone or out of use
Serramonte High Schoolschool
12cemeteries and burying grounds inside Colma
Cypress Lawn Memorial ParkGreenlawnHills of Eternity Memorial ParkHoly Cross CatholicHome of PeaceHoy Sun MemorialItalianJapaneseOlivet Memorial ParkSalemSerbianWoodlawn
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The community of Colma was formed in the 19th century as a collection of homes and small businesses along El Camino Real and the adjacent San Francisco and San Jose Railroad line. Several churches, including Holy Angels Catholic Church, were founded in these early years. The community founded its own fire district, which serves the unincorporated area of Colma north of the town limits, as well as the area that became a town in 1924.
Passages that mention Colma, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of San Mateo County, California, including its geography, topography, geology, climatography, and description, together with an historical sketch of California1883 · page 238Read the page →
Read the text
Colma is near the northern boundary of the county, and being much nearer San Francisco than our county seat, has its business relations mainly with the former. Colma, notwithstanding it 'is a small place, is an exception to most towns in the county, in that it has some manufacturing interests, the tanning of hides being carried on here quite extensively. Aside from the tannery, two stores, one by J. D. Husing, the other by A. Paslaqua (who is postmaster of the place,) the blacksmith shop of Jacob Bryan, and the saloon of Geo. M.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of San Mateo County, California, including its geography, topography, geology, climatography, and description, together with an historical sketch of California1883 · page 255Read the page →
Read the text
his brother, as early as 1859. He disposed of his interest in his San Mateo store to his brother, in 1865. He has visited Germany three times. On his return from the last of these visits in 1867, he opened his present mercantile house at Colma, May 5th, of the same year, and has conducted this business ever since.
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.
By decade
Colma, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 Colma post office opened in 1880, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1924.
How does Colma rank for history?
Colma is more historic than 30% of U.S. towns. 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 Colma?
10% of Colma’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.
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1907![The Ketchell [i.e., Ketchel] -Johnson--A scene from the first round](https://images.townratings.com/story/1255/ba4890d1c89f35f89310-s.jpg)
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