Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dallas Center dates its founding to 1869 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.
Dallas Center was named for United States Vice President George M. Dallas.
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dallas Center is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dallas Center’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dallas Center’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Dallas Center.
Dallas Center got its start in the year 1869, following construction of the railroad through the territory. It was named for United States Vice President George M. Dallas.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Dallas Center, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Dallas Center is just across the south line, in Adel township, and is about as convenient as though situated in its own bounds, affording good market and mail privileges; and though Minburn is the only post-oflice in Sugar Gnove, yet it has the use and convenience of two, the southern por' tion generally going to Dallas Center.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
nishing, excellent facilities for shipping either north or south, and thence east over two main roads to Chicago. Being situated so near Des Moines, also makes Grant a good feeding and shipping point. It has no town or post-office within its limits, but Dallas Center being so near, and Minburn and Waukee not far distant, the facilities for trading and market are comparatively convenient, and these three post-offices, together with Snyder, P.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In the archiveDallas Center, Casey, DeSoto, Dexter, Ogden, Perry, Shell Rock and Adel, Iowa. (0018.158)
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyOne decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dallas Center. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dallas Center.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.
1916Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Dallas Center’s page.
Retake this view · +15Grew from 133 people in 1870 to 1,901 in 2020, more than tenfold.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dallas Center’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Dallas Center’s post office has been open since 1893. Another post office, Dallas Centre, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1869, according to Wikidata. Dallas Center’s post office opened in 1869, and the census of 1870 counted 133 people here.
Dallas Center is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns. 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.
24% of Dallas Center’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1974.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (6), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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