Santa Fe Springs’ post office opened in 1888, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 40% of U.S. towns · #221 of 847 in California. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 6 buildings between them. Most of Santa Fe Springs was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1960. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1960.
From Santa Fe Springs’ archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Santa Fe Springs began
When was Santa Fe Springs founded?
1888
The Santa Fe Springs post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1957. Two smaller post offices, Fulton Wells (1879) and Carmenita (1887), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 16,342 in 19602020 census: 19,219138 years
How historic is Santa Fe Springs?
C+
More historic than 40% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Santa Fe Springs post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1957.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Santa Fe Springs’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Santa Fe Springs is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #221 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Santa Fe Springs’ 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 Santa Fe Springs’ 3.2 sits above most of its state (84% of California towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% 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 (±1.2 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1957.
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 Santa Fe Springs’ 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 Santa Fe Springs. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1896Downey 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 Santa Fe Springs.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Santa Fe Springs had its own post office from 1888 to 1956. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Fulton Wells
1879–1888
Carmenita
1887–1892
Santa Fe Springs
1888–1956
18701950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
CarmenitaFulton WellsValla
Gone or out of use
Norwalk Drive-InlocaleSanta Fe Springs Drive-Inlocale
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Santa Fe Springs
Little LakeOlive GroveParadise Memorial Park
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Junípero Serra started some missions in this area, especially the San Gabriel mission. By 1806, the natives, first called Gabrieleños and then Sejats, were forced into labor to build the mission.
Corporal José Manuel Nieto, then 65 years old, petitioned Pedro Fages as the Governor for a small piece of land. In 1789, Fagas received official permission for the grant. Nieto's was one of the largest at 300,000 acres (1,200 km2) , from the Pacific Ocean to the Puente Hills. This became known as the "Rancho La Zanja", to which he moved with his wife Teresa and his son, Juan José. This area soon became a large cattle empire, and later would be the Santa Fe Springs' area.
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 Santa Fe Springs post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1957.
How does Santa Fe Springs rank for history?
Santa Fe Springs is more historic than 40% of U.S. towns, #221 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 Santa Fe Springs?
Two places: the Clarke Estate (listed 1990) and the Hawkins-Nimocks Estate-Patricio Ontiveros Adobe (1987).
How old are the homes in Santa Fe Springs?
2% of Santa Fe Springs’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, 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.
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