3 of Air Force Academy’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 46% of U.S. towns · #50 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Most of Air Force Academy was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1967. Below: maps from 1948 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Air Force Academy is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #50 of 159 in Colorado. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Air Force Academy’s overall grade.
Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Air Force Academy’s 22.3 sits above most of its state (79% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 15 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.5 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 Air Force Academy’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The story so far
Air Force Academy, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Air Force Academy yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Air Force Academy is a census-designated place (CDP) located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The CDP includes the developed portion of the United States Air Force Academy, including the cadet housing facilities. The CDP is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Air Force Academy post office (ZIP Codes 80840 and 80841 [for post office boxes]) serves the area. At the 2020 United States census, the population of the Air Force Academy CDP was 6,680.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 6,680 in 2010, 6,608 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Air Force Academy. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1948Pikeview 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 Air Force Academy.
People over time
Air Force Academy, census by census
Between 6,608 and 9,062 people in every census since 1980.
5 censuses, 1980–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Air Force Academy’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Air Force Academy
Nobody well known was born in Air Force Academy itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Air Force Academy
CappsUnited States Air Force Academy
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Air Force Academy’s history
How does Air Force Academy rank for history?
Air Force Academy is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #50 of 159 in Colorado. 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 Air Force Academy?
Three places: the United States Air Force Academy, Cadet Area (listed 2004), the Pioneer Cabin (1975) and the Carlton House (1989).
How old are the homes in Air Force Academy?
1% of Air Force Academy’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.5 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado 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 the National Register of Historic Places (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.
★ Landmark
