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D−History
History · Stevenson Ranch

Stevenson Ranch dates to 1987

Among the newest of U.S. towns · #842 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Stevenson Ranch was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1999. Below: maps from 1903 on.

1987founded
0on the National Register
0.0%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Stevenson Ranch began

When was Stevenson Ranch founded?

1987

Stevenson Ranch dates its founding to 1987 (Wikidata).

2020 census: 20,17839 years

How historic is Stevenson Ranch?

D−

Among the newest of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Stevenson Ranch’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stevenson Ranch is among the newest of U.S. towns, #842 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stevenson Ranch’s overall grade.
Founding era1987, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.0% of homes (±0.4) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%D−National RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the newest
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)#842 of 847

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 Stevenson Ranch’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.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1987.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D−. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (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 Stevenson Ranch’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Stevenson Ranch are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19038 editions of the USGS map, 1903 to 1995. Watch Stevenson Ranch change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Stevenson Ranch’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Stevenson Ranch’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Stevenson Ranch on the map, 1903 to 1995

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Stevenson Ranch. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Stevenson Ranch on the 1903 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1929 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1933 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1941 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1952 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1969 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1988 USGS mapStevenson Ranch on the 1995 USGS map1903Santa Susana 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 Stevenson Ranch.

The story

How Stevenson Ranch came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Stevenson Ranch.

Read it all →

In the early 1980s, land in what is now known as Stevenson Ranch was purchased by Dale Poe and his real estate agency Dale Poe Development Corp. (DPDC), which was based in Agoura. Born in New Mexico, Poe later moved to San Diego and married his wife Margaret in 1957. In the mid-1970s, he founded DPDC (formerly D&M; Construction), which became one of Southern California's biggest developers of master-planned communities. As explained by the website SCVHistory.com, "In late 1985, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the first phase of 4,378 single-family homes, condominiums and apartments on 3,057 acres. Envisioned as an eventual 10,000-home community, construction started in 1988." In addition, Poe and his company agreed with the county "to donate 13 acres and $2.4 million for a new school in the fast-growing Newhall School District. The company will [also] donate more mo…

Chapters1980s–2000s: Dale Poe and Development2001: Stevenson Ranch Shootout

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Stevenson Ranch, 1903 to 1998

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1903On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1987
    FoundingStevenson Ranch is established
  4. 1998Born hereJessie Harper is born here
By decade

Stevenson Ranch, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Stevenson Ranch Library2024Stevenson Ranch LibraryStevenson Ranch to the left of I-5 northbound2021Stevenson Ranch to the left of I-5 northboundStevenson Ranch Fountain2012Stevenson Ranch FountainStevenson Ranch Fountain 22012Stevenson Ranch Fountain 2Stevenson Ranch - Agrestic Intro2006Stevenson Ranch - Agrestic Intro
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Santa Clarita1 historic placeC−

Questions about Stevenson Ranch’s history

What year was Stevenson Ranch founded?

In 1987, according to Wikidata.

How does Stevenson Ranch rank for history?

Stevenson Ranch is among the newest of U.S. towns, #842 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 Stevenson Ranch?

0.0% of Stevenson Ranch’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1999.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.