Upper Arlington dates to 1917, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #580 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 984 buildings. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1955 on, and the census since 1920.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Upper Arlington is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #580 of 993 in Ohio. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Upper Arlington’s overall grade.
Ohio towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Ohio town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Upper Arlington’s 271 sits above most of its state (97% of Ohio towns have fewer) while its 985 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1917.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.
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 Upper Arlington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land on which present-day Upper Arlington sits was first known to be inhabited by the Adena people. Centuries later the Wyandot lived there, eventually being expelled after the U.S. Government gave land grants to Revolutionary War soldiers in lieu of pay. Property originally bestowed in this area to Elijah Backus, Jonathan Dayton and Andrew Marker was sold as farm property to a number of different families in the 1800s.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Upper Arlington. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1955Southwest Columbus sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Upper Arlington.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewFounding Families, 1855
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Upper Arlington’s page.
In 1917, according to Wikidata. the census of 1920 counted 620 people here.
How does Upper Arlington rank for history?
Upper Arlington is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #580 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Upper Arlington?
Two places: the Upper Arlington Historic District (listed 1985) and the Frederick G. Kilgour House (2012).
How old are the homes in Upper Arlington?
12% of Upper Arlington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 15% for an Ohio town; the median home was built in 1959.
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 (6), 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) 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.
c. 1897
1918
1918
