Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns · #19 of 42 in Nevada. What drives it
Most of Fernley was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2001. Its Register listings are the Fernley Community Church and the Fernley and Lassen Railway Depot. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1990.
Fernley dates its founding to 1904 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1990.
More historic than 17% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fernley is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #19 of 42 in Nevada. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Few Nevada towns list much on the Register (a typical Nevada town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Fernley’s 0.8 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Nevada towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% 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 Fernley’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Fernley.
Fernley, established in 1904, developed as primarily an agricultural and ranching community in proximity to Reno. It is unknown why the name "Fernley" was applied to this community. It, along with the defunct settlement of Fernley, California are the only two known places in the world to have the name Fernley.
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
In the archiveDIVERSIONARY CANAL OF THE TRUCKEE RIVER AT FERNLEY IS PART OF THE NEWLANDS IRRIGATION PRO…One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
2008FEMA - 34031 - Workers return materials to a Red Cros…
2008FEMA - 33998 - FEMA recovery printed materials in
2008FEMA - 33987 - Debris on a Fernley, NV neighborhood
2008FEMA - 33983 - FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Center (…
2008FEMA - 33932 - FEMA staff meet to discuss Nevada oper…
2007Interstate 80
2007Interstate 80
2007Interstate 80Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Fernley. 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 Fernley.
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Fernley’s page.
Retake this view · +15The 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 5,164 people in 1990 to 22,895 in 2020, 4 times over.
4 censuses, 1990–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Fernley’s Wikipedia page.
Fernley’s post office has been open since 1908.
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 1904, according to Wikidata. Fernley’s post office opened in 1908, and the census of 1990 counted 5,164 people here.
Fernley is more historic than 17% of U.S. towns, #19 of 42 in Nevada. 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 Fernley Community Church (listed 2003) and the Fernley and Lassen Railway Depot (2005).
0.3% of Fernley’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.3% for a Nevada town; the median home was built in 2001.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
1973
1973
1973
