5 of Ballenger Creek’s places are on the National Register
More historic than 50% of U.S. towns · #91 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Most of Ballenger Creek was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1908 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ballenger Creek is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #91 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ballenger Creek’s overall grade.
Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ballenger Creek’s 9.1 sits above most of its state (68% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 24 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points).
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 Ballenger Creek’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
The story so far
Ballenger Creek, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Ballenger Creek yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Ballenger Creek is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. It is a part of the Frederick, Maryland urban area and is adjacent to Frederick's southern city limits. The CDP had a 2010 census population of 18,274.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 18,274 to 24,999 (+37%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Ballenger Creek, 1780 to 1973
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ballenger Creek. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1908Ijamsville 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 Ballenger Creek.
People over time
Ballenger Creek, census by census
Grew from 5,546 people in 1990 to 24,999 in 2020, 4 times over.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ballenger Creek’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Ballenger Creek
Nobody well known was born in Ballenger Creek itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Ballenger Creek is more historic than 50% of U.S. towns, #91 of 261 in Maryland. 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 Ballenger Creek?
5 listings: 4 buildings and 1 site. 24 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Ballenger Creek?
3% of Ballenger Creek’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1997.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.
★ Landmark
