More historic than 3% of U.S. towns · #756 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Lindenhurst was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: maps from 1920 on and the census since 1960.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1863.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lindenhurst’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lindenhurst is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #756 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lindenhurst’s overall grade.
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 Lindenhurst’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (28% of Illinois 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 D. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1953.
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 Lindenhurst’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Village of Lindenhurst lies within the Valparaiso moraine from the most recent Ice Age. The area is rich in lakes and swamp land; it was inhabited by the Potawatomi Indian tribe, who mixed agriculture with hunting and fishing. The rich soil ultimately attracted European farmers. An expedition led by Colbee Benton in the 1830s was followed by treaties by which the Potawatomi, the Sauk and the Blackhawk Tribes agreed to leave the area. Most Euro-American settlers came from the east coast, the first recorded being the Pennsylvanian Noer Potter. There were also a number of early Scottish, German and English arrivals.
In 1953, according to Wikidata. Lindenhurst’s post office opened in 1863, and the census of 1960 counted 1,259 people here.
How does Lindenhurst rank for history?
Lindenhurst is more historic than 3% of U.S. towns, #756 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.
How old are the homes in Lindenhurst?
1% of Lindenhurst’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 Wikipedia, 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.
