Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 23% of U.S. towns · #122 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Most of Waukee was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2011. Its Register listing is the St. Boniface Catholic Church. Its Register listing is the St. Boniface Catholic Church. Below: maps from 1908 on and the census since 1880.
Waukee dates its founding to 1869 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 23% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waukee is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #122 of 140 in Iowa. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls 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 Waukee’s 0.3 sits below most of its state (34% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
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 Waukee’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waukee. 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 Waukee.
From Wikipedia’s history of Waukee.
Waukee was laid out as a town in 1869. It is thought to be named after The Milwaukee Road Railroad. Waukee was incorporated on December 23, 1878.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Waukee, cut from the printed page as they were published.
met with any considerable degree of success until during the last year by indomitable energy and unflinching pluck of the enterprising citizens and leading men of Adel a narrow gauge railroad has been constructed and put in running order from Waukee to Adel, which is destined before many years to traverse the county and connect Des Moines and Panora by a narrow gauge railroad, giving new life and energy to all the towns along its line, and perfecting the railroad conveniences of Dallas county by a central railroad through its county seat.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
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. 0., so near the north line, in Des Moines township, all parts of the township can easily get and send mail matter. » Mr. Humphrey was the first settler in Grant township. He settled on
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.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereMatt Nickell is born here
Born herePayton Sandfort is born hereThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 245 people in 1880 to 23,940 in 2020, more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Waukee’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Waukee’s post office has been open since 1874. Another post office, Waukee Station, 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).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1869, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Waukee’s post office opened in 1869, and the census of 1880 counted 245 people here.
Waukee is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #122 of 140 in Iowa. 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.
One place: the St. Boniface Catholic Church (listed 2024).
2% of Waukee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 2011.
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 (4), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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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