Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 15% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Mapleton was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2010. Below: maps from 1961 on and the census since 1890.
The Mapleton post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name.
More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mapleton is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
North Dakota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical North Dakota town has 2.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Mapleton’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of North Dakota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Mapleton’s history is told.
Lost half of its people between 1900 and 1950, then grew 7-fold.
14 censuses, 1890–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Mapleton’s Wikipedia page.
From Wikipedia’s history of Mapleton.
Mapleton was platted in 1876, soon after the railroad was extended to that point. The city took its name from the Maple River. A post office has been in operation at Mapleton since 1875.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
2024Mapleton ND (2024-10-12-04-52-05 UMBRA-06)
2024Mapleton ND (2024-10-09-04-10-04 UMBRA-08)
2024Mapleton ND (2024-10-08-04-27-13 UMBRA-08)
2024Mapleton ND (2024-10-07-17-45-30 UMBRA-08)
2024Mapleton ND (2024-10-07-04-43-49 UMBRA-08)
2009Mapleton, North Dakota
2009Mapleton, North Dakota
2009Mapleton, North Dakota
2009Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North Dakota
2006Mapleton, North DakotaEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Mapleton. 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 Mapleton.
Nobody well known was born in Mapleton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Mapleton post office opened in 1875, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Mapleton is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns. 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.
2% of Mapleton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.0 points), against a typical 7.2% for a North Dakota town; the median home was built in 2010.
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 (24), Wikipedia, 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.
