Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 61% of U.S. towns · #93 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 21 buildings between them. Most of Ozark was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 1880.
Ozark dates its founding to 1818 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.
More historic than 61% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ozark is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #93 of 247 in Missouri. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Ozark’s 9.4 sits above most of its state (71% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 21 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ozark’s history is told.
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.
1900Sheet 1 of 1Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereGeorge Blackburn is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyFrom Wikipedia’s history of Ozark.
Ozark was named after the Ozark Mountains, in which it is situated. The Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The name Ozarks is believed to have begun sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s from those living in the Arkansas area who were heading north and said they were going to the Ozarks.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Ozark, cut from the printed page as they were published.
ous establishments for the hire of horses and carriages. There are few enterprises which contribute a larger quota to the convenience of the residential and transient public than the well appointed livery stable, and one of the most promising in the city of Ozark is that conducted by Mr. William L. Woody. This gentleman has resided here for the past eight years, during which time he engaged in the livery business, and now has one of the best equipped and best appointed barns in the city. Aside from this occupation he has branched out in other business enterprises, and in 1892 and 1893 was in the hardware
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
2020Shops on the courthouse square
2020A hand-carved identification sign below a vintage sof…
2020Boutique on courthouse square
2020Stormy weather 2
2017Evening Light
2015Christian County MO Courthouse 20151022-158
2014Sunlight Over Ozark Mill
2014Finley River in
2014Finley River Sunset
2014Finley River Sunrise
2014Deer in the Finley River Valley Mist
2004MOMap-doton-OzarkEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ozark. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ozark.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 235 people in 1880 to 21,284 in 2020, more than tenfold.
15 censuses, 1880–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ozark’s Wikipedia page.
Ozark’s post office has been open since 1840.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1818, according to Wikidata. Ozark’s post office opened in 1840, and the census of 1880 counted 235 people here.
Ozark is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #93 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.
Two places: the Ozark Courthouse Square Historic District (listed 2009) and the Smallin Cave Historic District (2018).
2% of Ozark’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 2002.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
