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AHistory
History · Urbana

Urbana dates to 1833, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #129 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

28 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and two historic districts with 49 buildings between them. Below: 11 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1850.

1833founded
28on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
11old photos & papers
51famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Urbana’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Urbana began

When was Urbana founded?

1833

Urbana dates its founding to 1833 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 210 in 18502020 census: 38,336193 years

How historic is Urbana?

A

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1836.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Urbana’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Urbana is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #129 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Urbana’s overall grade.
Founding era1833, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194013.2% of homes (±1.7) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register28 listings, 77 historic buildings, 19.6 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 85%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 83%

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 Urbana’s 19.6 sits above most of its state (87% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 77 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1833.

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 Urbana’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark28 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1887 to 1915, drew every building in Urbana.A historic districtThe Downtown Urbana Historic District takes in 41 historic buildings.Famous sons and daughtersRoger Ebert, Robert W. Holley and 49 more were born here.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

28 historic places in Urbana

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 2 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier.

places listed
28
National Historic Landmarks
2
Morrow Plots, University of Illinois
historic buildings protected
77
each building in a district counts
first listed
1968
Morrow Plots, University of Illinois
Altgeld Hall, University of Illinois, built 1897Greek Revival CottageClark R. Griggs HouseNatural History BuildingChemical LaboratoryMetal ShopMilitary Drill Hall and Men's GymnasiumAlpha Xi Delta Sorority Chapter HouseFarm HousePhi Mu Sorority HouseUnitarian Church of UrbanaGamma Phi Beta Sorority HouseSmith, Tina Weedon, Memorial HallBuilding at 203-205 North Market StreetElm Street CourtAlpha Delta Pi Sorority HouseWarm Air Research House, built 1924Women's Gymnasium, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, built 1930Women's Residence Hall-West Residence Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignKappa Kappa Gamma Sorority HouseLincoln (Statue), built 1927Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity HouseDowntown Urbana Historic DistrictUniversity of Illinois Astronomical ObservatoryUrbana-Lincoln Hotel-Lincoln Square MallJoseph W. Royer House and Ella Danely CottageMorrow Plots, University of Illinois★University of Illinois Observatory★
BuildingsDistrictsSitesObjects★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Italianate2
Tudor Revival2
Gothic2
Spanish Colonial Revival2
Colonial Revival2
Georgian Revival2
★ Landmark
Morrow Plots, University of IllinoisSite
Altgeld Hall, University of IllinoisRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 1897
Greek Revival CottageGreek Revival
Clark R. Griggs HouseItalianate
Natural History BuildingHigh Victorian Gothic
Chemical LaboratorySecond Empire
Metal ShopBuilding
Military Drill Hall and Men's GymnasiumBuilding
All 28 listings
Alpha Xi Delta Sorority Chapter HouseBuilding · listed 1989Farm HouseBuilding · listed 1989Phi Mu Sorority HouseBuilding · listed 1990Unitarian Church of UrbanaBuilding · listed 1991Gamma Phi Beta Sorority HouseBuilding · listed 1994Smith, Tina Weedon, Memorial HallBuilding · listed 1996Building at 203-205 North Market StreetBuilding · listed 1997Elm Street CourtDistrict · listed 2000Alpha Delta Pi Sorority HouseBuilding · listed 2000Warm Air Research HouseBuilding · listed 2001Women's Gymnasium, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignBuilding · listed 2003Women's Residence Hall-West Residence Hall, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignBuilding · listed 2003Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority HouseBuilding · listed 2004Lincoln (Statue)Object · listed 2004Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity HouseBuilding · listed 2009Downtown Urbana Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2019University of Illinois ObservatoryBuilding · listed 1989University of Illinois Astronomical ObservatoryBuilding · listed 1986Urbana-Lincoln Hotel-Lincoln Square MallBuilding · listed 2006Joseph W. Royer House and Ella Danely CottageBuilding · listed 2022

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Urbana, building by building, 1887–1915

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Urbana fire insurance map, 1887, sheet 11887Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Urbana came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Urbana.

Read it all →

The Urbana area was first settled by Europeans in 1822, when it was called "Big Grove". When the county of Champaign was organized in 1833, the county seat was located on 40 acres of land, 20 acres donated by William T. Webber and 20 acres by M. W. Busey, considered to be the city's founder, and the name "Urbana" was adopted after Urbana, Ohio, the hometown of State Senator John W. Vance, who authored the enabling act creating Champaign County. The creation of the new town was celebrated for the first time on July 4, 1833.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Urbana, 1833 to 1989

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1833
    FoundingUrbana is established
  3. 1836Post officeThe Urbana post office opens
  4. 1857In the archiveFramed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel Alschuler
  5. 1869In the archiveBird's eye view of the city of Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois 1869
  6. 1897BuiltAltgeld Hall, University of Illinois is built
  7. 20th century
  8. 1906On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1910In the archiveIllinois Baptist State Convention, 66th anniversary
  10. 1922Born hereRobert W. Holley is born here
  11. 1924BuiltWarm Air Research House is built
  12. 1927BuiltLincoln (Statue) is built
  13. 1930BuiltWomen's Gymnasium, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is built
  14. 1942Born hereRoger Ebert is born here
  15. 1952Born hereLars Peter Hansen is born here
  16. 1968LandmarkMorrow Plots, University of Illinois named a National Historic Landmark
  17. 1972Born hereJennie Garth is born here
  18. 1989LandmarkUniversity of Illinois Observatory named a National Historic Landmark
By decade

Urbana, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s–1860s3 items
Framed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel Alschuler1857Framed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel AlschulerAlschuler photograph of Lincoln1858Alschuler photograph of LincolnBird's eye view of the city of Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois 18691869Bird's eye view of the city of Urbana, Champaign Coun…
1910s8 items
Illinois Baptist State Convention, 66th anniversary1910Illinois Baptist State Convention, 66th anniversaryStudents and instructors, short course in corn, 1910, U. of I1910Students and instructors, short course in corn, 1910,…Illinois1917IllinoisIllinois1917IllinoisIllinois1917IllinoisWoman's Bldg., University of Illinois1917Woman's Bldg., University of IllinoisHereford Calves, Department of Animal Husbandry, University of Illinois1917Hereford Calves, Department of Animal Husbandry, Univ…Animal Husbandry Class Judging Percheron Horses, University of Illinois1917Animal Husbandry Class Judging Percheron Horses, Univ…
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
On the map

Urbana on the map, 1906 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Urbana. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Urbana on the 1906 USGS mapUrbana on the 1957 USGS mapUrbana on the 1970 USGS mapUrbana on the 1998 USGS map1906Urbana 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 Urbana.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Framed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel Alschuler
Retake this viewFramed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel Alschuler, 1857

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Urbana’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Urbana, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,0001850190019502000Peak: 41,250

Between 210 and 41,250 people in every census since 1850.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Urbana’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

51 famous people were born in Urbana

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Roger EbertAmerican film critic and author · b. 1942
Robert W. HolleyAmerican biochemist · b. 1922
Lars Peter HansenAmerican economist · b. 1952
Jennie GarthAmerican actress · b. 1972
Dan GrahamAmerican artist · b. 1942
Nina PaleyUS animator, cartoonist and free culture activi… · b. 1968
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Urbana’s post office has been open since 1836.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Mira
Gone or out of use
Illini AirportairportPerkins SchoolschoolStewart Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Urbana
East LawnHarvey

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Urbana’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFramed photograph of Lincoln by Samuel …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Cunningham Township28 historic placesA−Urbana Township1 historic placeB+Somer TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townChampaign27 historic placesBChampaign City Township26 historic placesB

Questions about Urbana’s history

What year was Urbana founded?

In 1833, according to Wikidata. Urbana’s post office opened in 1836, and the census of 1850 counted 210 people here.

How does Urbana rank for history?

Urbana is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #129 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.

What is on the National Register in Urbana?

28 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 24 buildings, 2 historic districts, the Elm Street Court and the Downtown Urbana Historic District, with 49 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 1 object. 77 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Urbana?

13% of Urbana’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1980.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 Library of Congress (7), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (28), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.