More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #215 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Most of Joppatowne was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 2000.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Joppatowne is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #215 of 261 in Maryland. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Joppatowne’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 Joppatowne’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (20% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% 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 (±1.8 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 Joppatowne’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Joppa Cross Roads
1816–1829
Magnolia
1840–1994
Joppa
1880–today
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Annes DelightFoster BranchJoppaJoppa LandingMagnoliaOaklyn ManorWilliams Mobile Home Park
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
On the map
Joppatowne on the map, 1893 to 1985
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Joppatowne. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Gunpowder 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 Joppatowne.
The story so far
Joppatowne, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Joppatowne yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Joppatowne is a census-designated place in southwestern Harford County, Maryland, United States. Serving as a bedroom community for nearby Baltimore, it was established in 1961 as a planned unit development (PUD). The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census, up from 11,391 in 2000. Joppatowne is covered by the "Joppa" ZIP Code of 21085, and "Joppa" is a designated planning region for Harford County. The Joppa ZIP code extends 6 miles (10 km) north of Joppatowne, as far as Benson, just south of Bel Air. The namesake of both Joppatowne and Joppa is the original town of "Joppa" (Jaffa, Israel). It was a major seaport in American colonial times and the county seat of the original Baltimore Cou…
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 12,616 to 13,425 (+6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Joppatowne, 1816 to 1994
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Joppatowne is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #215 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.
How old are the homes in Joppatowne?
3% of Joppatowne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1975.
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), 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) 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.
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