On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Port Byron is more historic than 83% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Port Byron’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 Port Byron’s 5.4 sits above most of its state (76% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±8.0 points). Two sources give 1828.
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 Port Byron’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost a third of its people between 1880 and 1920, then grew 3-fold.
17 censuses, 1860–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Port Byron’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Port Byron on the map, 1892 to 1991
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Port Byron. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1892Leclaire 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 Port Byron.
The story so far
Port Byron, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Port Byron yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Port Byron is a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States and part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area. The population was 1,668 at the time of the 2020 census; up from 1,647 at the 2010 census.
Port Byron was established in 1828. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,647 in 2010, 1,668 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Port Byron, 1885–1908
Passages that mention Port Byron, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 268Read the page →
Read the text
county of Rock Island. The journey was made to this place on the steamer "Wisconsin," and the trip was her first. Mr. Allyn bought a tract of land at Port Byron, and he also made claims on sections 20 and 2r of the township of Coe, which was then recorded as town 19, range 2 east. The tract lying on the river is now included in the site of the village of Port Byron. He spent the winter in the home of
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Portrait and biographical album of Rock Island County, Illinois1885 · page 791Read the page →
Read the text
Samuel Allen, who had been residing on the place where the village of Port Byron was laid out, sold that place and moved to a farm near the center of the township in February, 1837. He lived but a few months after making the settlement. His death was doubtless the first in the township.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The village of Port Byron was incorporated in February, 18.56. The village was laid out in 1836, b}' Sanuiel Allen, Dr. P. Gregg, Nathaniel Belcher and Moses Bailey; the land was held in common by them. On the lanrl was but one log house and a small log store.
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.
Timeline
Port Byron, 1828 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
In 1828, according to Wikidata. Port Byron’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1860 counted 652 people here.
How does Port Byron rank for history?
Port Byron is more historic than 83% 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.
How old are the homes in Port Byron?
23% of Port Byron’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1976.
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), the Library of Congress (2), 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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