Valley City dates to 1874, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #1 of 23 in North Dakota. What drives it
9 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 11 buildings. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1884 on, and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1874.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Valley City’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Valley City is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #1 of 23 in North Dakota. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Valley City’s overall grade.
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 Valley City’s 26.0 sits above most of its state (82% of North Dakota towns have fewer) while its 17 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
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 (±5.4 points). Two sources give 1874.
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 Valley City’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
Valley City was established in 1874 with the building of a railroad station. The town was originally named Worthington after the town's promoter, George Worthington. The present name is for the city's location in the valley of the Sheyenne River. A post office was established under the name Worthington in 1874, and has continued to operate under the name Valley City since 1878. A Carnegie Library opened in 1903 through the efforts of the "Tuesday Club," a local women's organization. The inception of the nation's first barber association occurred in Valley City during a state barber convention in February, 1909.
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 1874, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Valley City’s post office opened in 1874, and the census of 1880 counted 302 people here.
How does Valley City rank for history?
Valley City is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #1 of 23 in North Dakota. 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 Valley City?
9 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Valley City Carnegie Library (listed 1979, the first), 1 historic district, the State Normal School at Valley City Historic District, with 11 contributing buildings, 1 structure, and 1 object. 17 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Valley City?
30% of Valley City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.4 points), against a typical 7.2% for a North Dakota town; the median home was built in 1962.
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 (21), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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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