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C−History
History · Wildomar

Wildomar dates to 1884

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns · #558 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Wildomar was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 1990.

1884founded
0on the National Register
1%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Wildomar began

When was Wildomar founded?

1884

Wildomar dates its founding to 1884 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1990.

First census: 10,411 in 19902020 census: 36,875142 years

How historic is Wildomar?

C−

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1886.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Wildomar’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wildomar is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #558 of 847 in California. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wildomar’s overall grade.
Founding era1884, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19401.0% of homes (±0.8) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 16%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 34%

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 Wildomar’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.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1884.

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 Wildomar’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 Wildomar are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wildomar’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wildomar’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
The story

How Wildomar came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wildomar.

Read it all →

In the summer of 1880 when, looking down from the peak of Mt. Baldy, Franklin Heald of Pasadena first noticed Lake Elsinore, then known as La Laguna. A few months later, in October, Frank Kimbal of San Diego signed an agreement with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to build a rail line past the lake from San Diego to Barstow, then known as Waterman.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Wildomar, 1884 to 1992

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1884
    FoundingWildomar is established
  3. 1886Post officeThe Wildomar post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1953On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1991Born hereChrista B. Allen is born here
  7. 1992Born hereTori Kelly is born here
By decade

Wildomar, decade by decade

Today24 recent
Sedco Hills from Sedco Heights 22024Sedco Hills from Sedco Heights 2Sedco Hills from Sedco Heights 12024Sedco Hills from Sedco Heights 1Sedco Hills Scrub Detail 22024Sedco Hills Scrub Detail 2Sedco Hills Scrub Detail 12024Sedco Hills Scrub Detail 1Santa Ana Mountains and Lake Elsinore from Wildomar 12024Santa Ana Mountains and Lake Elsinore from Wildomar 1Salida Del Sol Road2024Salida Del Sol RoadLooking east across I-15 at Wildomar, California 22024Looking east across I-15 at Wildomar, California 2Looking east across I-15 at Wildomar, California 12024Looking east across I-15 at Wildomar, California 1Inland Valley Looking East From Santa Ana Mountains2024Inland Valley Looking East From Santa Ana MountainsDeJong's Dairy Sign2024DeJong's Dairy SignDeJong's Dairy2024DeJong's DairyCalifornia Buckwheat and Yellow Wildflowers2024California Buckwheat and Yellow WildflowersBundy Canyon, Wildomar, California 22024Bundy Canyon, Wildomar, California 2Bundy Canyon, Wildomar, California 12024Bundy Canyon, Wildomar, California 1Marna O'Brien Park2022Marna O'Brien ParkElsinore Peak from Gateway Hill2022Elsinore Peak from Gateway HillWildomar tree tunnel 22019Wildomar tree tunnel 2IPSSA shares water safety info2017IPSSA shares water safety infoIPSSA shares water safety info2017IPSSA shares water safety infoIPSSA shares water safety info2017IPSSA shares water safety infoIPSSA shares water safety info2017IPSSA shares water safety infoWildomar, Calif., native training at Parris Island to become U.S. Marine 131219-M-PG802-0262013Wildomar, Calif., native training at Parris Island to…April 20102010April 2010Cherry Poppin Daddies 20072007Cherry Poppin Daddies 2007
On the map

Wildomar on the map, 1953 to 1997

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

Wildomar on the 1953 USGS mapWildomar on the 1973 USGS mapWildomar on the 1982 USGS mapWildomar on the 1997 USGS map1953Wildomar sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wildomar.

People over time

Wildomar, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,0002000202036,875

Grew from 10,411 people in 1990 to 36,875 in 2020, 3 times over.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wildomar’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Wildomar

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Tori KellyAmerican singer and songwriter · b. 1992
C
Christa B. AllenAmerican actress · b. 1991
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Wildomar’s post office has been open since 1886.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Sedco Hills
1cemetery inside Wildomar
Wildomar

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Lake Elsinore2 historic placesC−MurrietaIts storyDMenifeeIts storyDLakeland VillageIts storyC−

Questions about Wildomar’s history

What year was Wildomar founded?

In 1884, according to Wikidata. Wildomar’s post office opened in 1886, and the census of 1990 counted 10,411 people here.

How does Wildomar rank for history?

Wildomar is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #558 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 Wildomar?

1% of Wildomar’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1992.

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 (24), 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.