Ava dates to 1871, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #111 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Most of Ava was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 5 buildings. Below: maps from 1914 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1872.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Ava’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ava is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #111 of 247 in Missouri. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ava’s overall grade.
Missouri towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Missouri town has 2.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ava’s 16.4 sits above most of its state (80% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.1 points). Two sources give 1871.
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 Ava’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area was settled during the 1830s and Douglas County was incorporated in 1857, with Vera Cruz as county seat. In 1864, the town of Militia Springs was founded and became the new county seat in 1870. The town was platted in 1871 and renamed Ava in 1881, although not incorporated until 1908. Militia Springs was the location of an encampment of Union soldiers or Missouri Militia during the American Civil War.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ava. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1942Ava 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 Ava.
Every building
Ava, building by building, 1914–1925
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.
1914Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
On the National Register
1 listing protects 5 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
In 1871, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Ava’s post office opened in 1872, and the census of 1880 counted 134 people here.
How does Ava rank for history?
Ava is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #111 of 247 in Missouri. 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 Ava?
One place: the Ava Ranger Station Historic District (listed 2003).
How old are the homes in Ava?
9% of Ava’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.1 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (3), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.
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