Machesney Park dates to 1981, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns · #666 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of Machesney Park was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1918 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Machesney Park is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #666 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Machesney Park’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 Machesney Park’s 0.4 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1981.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size.
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 Machesney Park’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Machesney Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1918Rockford sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Machesney Park.
The name Machesney Park has its roots in Machesney Airport, a rural airfield on North Second Street where Machesney Mall stands today. It was established in the 1920s by Fred "Mac" Machesney, a barnstorming aviator who went on to train more than 4,000 pilots there; the nearby Machesney Elementary School was also named for him. The airfield served as Rockford's main airport until the 1950s, when the Greater Rockford Airport opened, and it was used by fighter aircraft as a stopover during World War II before closing in the 1970s.
In 1981, according to Wikidata. the census of 1990 counted 19,033 people here.
How does Machesney Park rank for history?
Machesney Park is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #666 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 Machesney Park?
3% of Machesney Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1978.
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) 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.
