More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #734 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of La Riviera was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1902 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, La Riviera is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #734 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of La Riviera’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 La Riviera’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 two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 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 La Riviera’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 La Riviera. 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 La Riviera.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and old corners
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Mayhew's Station
1870–1873
Mayhews
1891–1922
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Mayhew
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
La Riviera, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of La Riviera yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
La Riviera is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,252 at the 2020 census, up from 10,802 at the 2010 census. La Riviera is a primarily residential neighborhood located between the American River on the north side and Highway 50 on the southern border.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 10,802 to 11,252 (+4%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
La Riviera, 1870 to 1922
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
La Riviera is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #734 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 La Riviera?
0.3% of La Riviera’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 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.
