Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns · #263 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register. Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1890.
Byron Township dates its founding to 1835 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Byron Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #263 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Byron Township’s 1.6 sits above most of its state (65% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% 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 Byron Township’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Byron Township.
The city that is now Byron was founded when a settler rode through the area on his way from Galena to Midway.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
2007Illinois Route 2 & 72 Byron, Illinois 01
2007Byron, Illinois Park Flooded P1
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2007Byron, Illinois Flooded Businesses 04
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2007Byron, Illinois Flooded Boat Launch P1
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2007Byron, IL Kathryn A. Hamas Park
2007Byron, IL City Hall
2000DME freight train inEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Byron Township. 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 Byron Township.
The 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 698 people in 1890 to 3,784 in 2020, 5 times over.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Byron Township’s Wikipedia page.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1835, according to Wikidata. Byron Township’s post office opened in 1838, and the census of 1890 counted 698 people here.
Byron Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #263 of 768 in Illinois. 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.
12% of Byron Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1988.
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 (18), Wikipedia, 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.
