Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #130 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Redwood City was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. 10 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 9 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1884 on and the census since 1870.
The Redwood City post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Redwood (1852), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
More historic than 55% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Redwood City is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #130 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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 Redwood City’s 1.9 sits above most of its state (80% of California towns have fewer) while its 16 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Redwood City’s history is told.
Redwood City’s post office has been open since 1856. Another post office, Redwood, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Redwood City. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Redwood City.
From Wikipedia’s history of Redwood City.
The earliest known inhabitants of the area that would become Redwood City were the Ohlone, who were present when the Spanish claimed the land and established missions.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Redwood City, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Redwood City. — Redwood City, the county seat of San Mateo county, is located at the head of navigation, or Embarcadero, which is more generally known as Redwood Creek, and inland about four miles from the open waters of the bay. It is a station on the Southern Pacific railroad, and the distance from San Francisco is twenty-eight miles. The site of this town is on the Rancho de las Pulgas, and during the Spanish-Mexican regime, was known throughout the valley as the Embarcadero. The landing was on the creek or slough, near the point where Bridge street crosses it, and for nearly a genera-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The board of supervisors on the 15th of December, canvassed the returns and announced the following result: Redwood City, seven hundred and three votes, and San Mateo, six hundred and ninety-three, leaving a majority in favor of Redwood City of ten votes. Instead of determining the question, this election had the effect to stimulate the partisans of San Mateo to renew the contest. Within five months from the date of the last election, and on May 4th, 1874, J. E. Butler, of San Mateo, presented a petition to the board of supervisors asking that another election
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.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
BuiltLathrop House is built
BuiltSequoia Union High School is built
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
BuiltNew Sequoia Theater Building is built
BuiltSan Mateo County Courthouse is built
Born hereJohn Abizaid is born here
Born hereRex J. Walheim is born here
Born hereLinda Cardellini is born hereFire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1884Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 727 people in 1870 to 84,292 in 2020, more than tenfold.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Redwood City’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Redwood City post office opened in 1856, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Redwood City is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #130 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.
10 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Lathrop House (listed 1973, the first), 2 historic districts, the Redwood City Historic Commercial Buildings and the Sequoia Union High School, with 9 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 1 structure. 16 historic buildings in all.
8% of Redwood City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1968.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (4), the National Register of Historic Places (10), 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), 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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