Riverdale Park dates to 1889, and 28% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #24 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Riversdale, a National Historic Landmark, and two historic districts with 675 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1930.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1891.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Riverdale Park’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Riverdale Park is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #24 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Riverdale Park’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 Riverdale Park’s 931 sits above most of its state (95% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 677 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1889.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.6 points).
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 Riverdale Park’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 Riverdale Park. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1900Washington 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 Riverdale Park.
Riverdale Park and the neighboring community of West Riverdale developed in the late 19th century as streetcar suburbs in central Prince George's County. The town is located approximately seven miles northeast of downtown Washington, D.C. The area is also bisected by the heavily traveled Baltimore Avenue (U.S. Route 1). The city of College Park is located to the north, the town of University Park to the west across Baltimore Avenue, the town of Edmonston to the east and southeast, and Hyattsville is located to the south and southwest.
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.
In 1889, according to Wikidata. Riverdale Park’s post office opened in 1891, and the census of 1930 counted 1,533 people here.
How does Riverdale Park rank for history?
Riverdale Park is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #24 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 Riverdale Park?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Riversdale (a National Historic Landmark since 1997), and 2 historic districts, the Riverdale Park Historic District and the West Riverdale Historic District, with 675 contributing buildings. 677 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Riverdale Park?
28% of Riverdale Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1957.
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), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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) 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
1918
2017
2009