3 of West Deerfield Township’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns · #445 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Most of West Deerfield Township was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 2000.
What drives West Deerfield Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Deerfield Township is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #445 of 768 in Illinois. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Deerfield Township’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 West Deerfield Township’s 1.0 sits near the middle of its state (62% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.0 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 West Deerfield Township’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 West Deerfield Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Highwood 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 West Deerfield Township.
The story so far
West Deerfield Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of West Deerfield Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
West Deerfield Township is located in Lake County, Illinois. The population was 31,586 at the 2020 census. West Deerfield Township was formed from former Deerfield Township (now Moraine Township) in 1888.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 31,077 in 2010, 31,586 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
How does West Deerfield Township rank for history?
West Deerfield Township is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #445 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 West Deerfield Township?
4% of West Deerfield Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1974.
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 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.
