Founding year: the first San Fernando post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1911.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives San Fernando’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, San Fernando is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #102 of 847 in California. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of San Fernando’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 San Fernando’s 0.4 sits above most of its state (70% 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 C+ to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1911.
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 →
What stands out about San Fernando’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 San Fernando. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900San Fernando 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 San Fernando.
Every building
San Fernando, building by building, 1907–1918
Fire 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.
Prior to the arrival of Spanish missionaries and soldiers, the area of San Fernando was in the northwestern extent of Tovaangar, or the homelands of the Tongva. The nearby village of Pasheeknga was a major site for the Tongva, being the most populous village in the San Fernando Valley at the time. The homelands of the Tataviam could be found to the north and the Chumash to the west.
The Mission San Fernando Rey de España (named after St. Ferdinand) was founded in 1797 at the site of Achooykomenga, an agricultural rancho established by Juan Francisco Reyes for Pueblo de Los Ángeles worked by Ventureño Chumash, Fernandeño (Tongva), and Tataviam laborers.
Passages that mention San Fernando, cut from the printed page as they were published.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California1889 · page 341Read the page →
Read the text
The Southern Pacific Railroad, in going from the town of San Fernando to the town of Newhall, passes through a tunnel one and one-third miles long, with two exceptions the longest on the Western Continent. San Fernando Township was formerly a ranch of nearly 125,000 acres, and belonged to General Andres Pico, i who made the treaty with General Fremont at
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... and biographical mention of many of it1889Read the page →
Read the text
The Southern Pacific Railroad, in going from the town of San Fernando to the town of Newhall, passes through a tunnel one and one-third miles long, with two exceptions the longest on the Western Continent. San Fernando Township was formerly a ranch of nearly 125,000 acres, and belonged to General Andres Pico, who made the treaty with General Fremont at
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... and biographical mention of many of it1889Read the page →
Read the text
The city donated sixty acres of land for depot purposes. Work was commenced at the initial point in the city, and continued east to Spadra and north to San Fernando, to which points the first trains were run April 4, 1874. Work was commenced on the Anaheim branch in the winter of 1873-'74, and the first train ran into Anaheim, January 17, 1875. In July, 1875, a
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California1889Read the page →
Read the text
The city donated sixty acres of land for depot purposes. Work was commenced at the initial point in the city, and continue 1 east to Spadra and north to San Fernando, to which points the first trains were run April 4, 1S74. "Work was commenced on the Anaheim branch in the winter of 1873-'74, and the first train ran into Anaheim, January 17, 1875. In July, 1875, a
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
San Fernando, 1873 to 1980
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.
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 San Fernando post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1911.
How does San Fernando rank for history?
San Fernando is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #102 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 San Fernando?
One place: the Lopez Adobe (listed 1971).
How old are the homes in San Fernando?
20% of San Fernando’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1956.
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 (5), the Library of Congress (11), 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), 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.
1929
1935
1935
1936
1936
Date?
2014
2014
2014
2014
2011