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B−History
History · Del Mar

Del Mar dates to 1882, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #135 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Del Mar was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Its Register listing is the Canfield-Wright House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1943 on, and the census since 1960.

1882founded
1on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Del Mar’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Del Mar began

When was Del Mar founded?

1882

Del Mar dates its founding to 1882 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1960.

First census: 3,124 in 19602020 census: 3,954144 years

How historic is Del Mar?

B−

More historic than 54% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1885.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Del Mar’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Del Mar is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #135 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Del Mar’s overall grade.
Founding era1882, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19409.5% of homes (±9.5) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register1 listing, 2 historic buildings, 5.1 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 54%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 84%

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 Del Mar’s 5.1 sits above most of its state (88% of California towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±9.5 points). Two sources give 1882.

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 Del Mar’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.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Del Mar’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewPalisades, Del Mar, San Diego County (N…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Del Mar came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Del Mar.

Read it all →

In 1880, the California Southern Railroad was formed to connect San Diego to the national rail network and Del Mar was along the planned route. It was first settled in 1882 by Theodore M. Loop, a railroad official from New York, and his wife Ella. Loop thought the area was "the most attractive place on the entire coast". Ella gave the site its name, inspired by Bayard Taylor's poem "The Fight of Paso del Mar". Instead of moving on when the railroad was completed, Loop decided he wanted to stay. In 1885, Loop met Colonel Jacob Taylor and proposed building a town together. Taylor was a prosperous rancher that had come to the region with his family. He had bought Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos and intended to stay there. On seeing the beauty and development potential of the Del Mar area, he changed his plans. He purchased 338 acres (1.37 km2) of land from Enoch Talbert, with vi…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Del Mar, 1882 to 1992

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1882
    FoundingDel Mar is established
  3. 1885Post officeThe Del Mar post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1943On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1974Born hereJohn Allred is born here
  7. 1982Born hereTristan Prettyman is born here
  8. 1986Born hereKristin Hayter is born here
  9. 1992Born hereRachael Flatt is born here
By decade

Del Mar, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Palisades, Del Mar, San Diego County (NBY 23765)Date?Palisades, Del Mar, San Diego County (NBY 23765)
Today13 recent
Aerial view of northern San Diego, CA, looking NE by East along California Route 562026Aerial view of northern San Diego, CA, looking NE by …Aerial view of California Coast, looking NE around Solana Beach2026Aerial view of California Coast, looking NE around So…The Commandant, Gen. Eric M. Smith attends the 250th Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration2025The Commandant, Gen. Eric M. Smith attends the 250th …Sea Grove Park2022Sea Grove ParkCamino Del Mar at San Dieguito2022Camino Del Mar at San DieguitoUS Navy 111215-N-ZZ999-104 Cpl. Daniel J. Franke, a patient at Wounded Warrior Battalion West, Naval Medical Center San…2011US Navy 111215-N-ZZ999-104 Cpl. Daniel J. Franke, a p…US Navy 111215-N-ZZ999-097 Lance Cpl. Eric Rodriguez, a patient at Wounded Warrior Battalion West, Naval Medical Center…2011US Navy 111215-N-ZZ999-097 Lance Cpl. Eric Rodriguez,…US Navy 080722-N-1424C-753 The improved navy lighterage system (INLS) transports Army rolling stock from ship-to-shore …2008US Navy 080722-N-1424C-753 The improved navy lightera…US Navy 080703-N-4973M-005 tructural pieces are arranged for transport to the construction site of the Trident Pier dur…2008US Navy 080703-N-4973M-005 tructural pieces are arran…US Navy 080630-N-4973M-009 Seaman Rafael Garcia, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1, secures a struc…2008US Navy 080630-N-4973M-009 Seaman Rafael Garcia, assi…US Navy 080626-N-1424C-001 Two Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) crafts …2008US Navy 080626-N-1424C-001 Two Amphibious Constructio…US Navy 080625-N-1424C-001 The Military Sealift Command heavy lift ship SS Cape Mohican (T-AKR 5065) carries Navy Light…2008US Navy 080625-N-1424C-001 The Military Sealift Comma…Solimar - Flickr - debaird™2004Solimar - Flickr - debaird™
On the map

Del Mar on the map, 1943 to 1994

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

Del Mar on the 1943 USGS mapDel Mar on the 1953 USGS mapDel Mar on the 1967 USGS mapDel Mar on the 1975 USGS mapDel Mar on the 1994 USGS map1943Del Mar sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Del Mar.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Palisades, Del Mar, San Diego County (NBY 23765)
Retake this viewPalisades, Del Mar, San Diego County (NBY 23765)

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Del Mar’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Del Mar

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
2004
Canfield-Wright House
Canfield-Wright House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival1
Canfield-Wright HouseMission/Spanish Colonial Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Del Mar, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5001960198020002020Peak: 5,017

Between 3,124 and 5,017 people in every census since 1960.

7 censuses, 1960–2020.

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

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Del Mar

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

See all →
Tristan PrettymanAmerican musician · b. 1982
Rachael FlattAmerican figure skater · b. 1992
Kristin HayterAmerican musician · b. 1986
John AllredAmerican football player · b. 1974
Places that used to be

Old corners

Del Mar’s post office has been open since 1885.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Del Mar Heights

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

San Diego92 historic placesASolana BeachIts storyD−

Questions about Del Mar’s history

What year was Del Mar founded?

In 1882, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Del Mar’s post office opened in 1885, and the census of 1960 counted 3,124 people here.

How does Del Mar rank for history?

Del Mar is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #135 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 Del Mar?

One place: the Canfield-Wright House (listed 2004).

How old are the homes in Del Mar?

10% of Del Mar’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±9.5 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1971.

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 (14), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (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) 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.