The story
Read it all →How Eldridge came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Eldridge.
Eldridge is named for James Eldridge, who owned part of the Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa land grant.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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History · Eldridge
1 of Eldridge’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 38% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Eldridge was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1965. Below: maps from 1944 on and the census since 1990.
1on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
About Eldridge’s history
How historic is Eldridge?
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What drives the grade ↓More historic than 38% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
History grade
What drives Eldridge’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Eldridge is more historic than 38% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Eldridge’s overall grade.
Founding eraNo founding year we can rely on, so the grade uses the other two–Homes built before 19401.3% of homes (±2.2) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register1 listing, 7.3 per 10,000 residents · typical CA town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 38%
NewerOlder
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 Eldridge’s 7.3 sits above most of its state (89% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 Eldridge’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Eldridge’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Eldridge’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.From the old history books
What they wrote about Eldridge in 1911
Passages that mention Eldridge, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time1911 · page 304Read the page →
Read the text
appointed manager of the farm of the state home and at once assumed charge of the large farm, which occupied his time for five years. He was then appointed steward, and served efficiently in this position for two years. In February, 1898, he began farming the place of lifty-six acres near Eldridge which he now occupies. Since then he has added to it until he now has one iiundred and eighty acres, which he devotes to general farming and horticulture. The ranch is beautifully located on an elevation which commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country, and its proximity to two railroads obviates the necessity of
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
Eldridge, decade by decade
2022
2009On the map
Eldridge on the map, 1944 to 1980
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Eldridge. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1944Santa Rosa sheet · 1:62,500U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Eldridge.
On the National Register
1 historic place in Eldridge
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
2000
Sonoma State Home-Main Building
Buildings
Architectural styles listings
Late Victorian1
Gothic1
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
People over time
Eldridge, census by census
Between 1,144 and 1,534 people in every census since 1990.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Eldridge’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
See all →Famous people close to Eldridge
Nobody well known was born in Eldridge itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Eldridge’s history
How does Eldridge rank for history?
Eldridge is more historic than 38% 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.
What is on the National Register in Eldridge?
One place: the Sonoma State Home-Main Building (listed 2000).
How old are the homes in Eldridge?
1% of Eldridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1965.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.