More historic than 8% of U.S. towns · #727 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of West Covina was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1967. Below: maps from 1894 on and the census since 1930.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1958.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives West Covina’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Covina is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #727 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 West Covina’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, West Covina ranks #378 on History.
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 West Covina’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.
Newer cities are common at West Covina’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1923.
Founding year: Wikipedia (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 West Covina’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Tongva were the earliest inhabitants of the San Gabriel Valley.
Governor Pío Pico sold much of the land of West Covina to John Rowland and William Workman in 1845.
The first permanent settlers arrived in West Covina in 1905. Most famous among them were William Payne, Bob Dancer, Bender, Robinson and Larsen. They cleared the land of sagebrush and cactus. They also planted the first walnut trees in the area.
In 1923, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. West Covina’s post office opened in 1958, and the census of 1930 counted 769 people here.
How does West Covina rank for history?
West Covina is more historic than 8% of U.S. towns, #727 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 West Covina?
2% of West Covina’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (8), 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) 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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