On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Piedmont is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #36 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Piedmont’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 Piedmont’s 0.9 sits above most of its state (75% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.8 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 Piedmont’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The original neighborhood of Piedmont was larger than the current municipality of Piedmont, with the Mountain View Cemetery considered full part of the Piedmont neighborhood.
Residents initially sought incorporation in 1907. Two elections were held among the citizens of Piedmont in 1907, both of which narrowly upheld the decision for Piedmont to become a separate city, rather than become a neighborhood within the city of Oakland.
Passages that mention Piedmont, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Alameda County, California1883 · page 809Read the page →
Read the text
Piedmont. — This place vicariously known as Piedmont Park or Piedmont Springs is situated in the foothills about three miles distant from the City Hall in Oakland. It occupies a plateau about three hundred feet above the bay and commands varied scenery of the utmost beauty. The Piedmont Land Company have laid out several hundred acres with such artistic regard to the topography of the ground that when all improvements are effected it will be one of the most delightful resorts in the neighborhood of Oakland. There is a fine hotel on the place, and several magnificent mansions adjacent to, the most notable of these being perhaps
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Alameda County, California1883 · page 400Read the page →
Read the text
On July 19th the Clerk was directed to transmit to the Board of Supervisors the following preamble and resolutions: " Whereas, The Alameda, Oakland, and Piedmont Railroad Company, on the i6th day of December, 1872, obtained a franchise by grant from the city of Oakland, by virtue of which the company was authorized to and did lay down rails upon the bridge across San Antonio Creek, and into and upon Webster Street, and maintained a railroad over the same, and said road extended from Park Street in Alameda to Broadway, Oakland, and has been operated for nearly nine years last past; " That by reason of the substitution of a new bridge for the old one the rails were taken up with the expecta-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
the territories of Nice and Genoa, and the island of Sardinia. From this last of its possessions is derived its name, the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Waldensian territory lies wholly within the duchy of Piedmont, and its southern border is about thirty miles from Turin, which is the capital both of Piedmont, and of the whole kingdom.
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.
Timeline
Piedmont, 1878 to 1996
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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 Piedmont post office opened in 1890, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1907.
How does Piedmont rank for history?
Piedmont is more historic than 78% of U.S. towns, #36 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 Piedmont?
One place: the Wetmore House (listed 1978).
How old are the homes in Piedmont?
63% of Piedmont’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.8 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1938.
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 (15), the Library of Congress (4), 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 USGS Geographic Names Information System 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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