Most of Durham was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: maps from 1916 on and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Durham is more historic than 4% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Durham’s overall grade.
Oregon towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Oregon town has 2.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Durham’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (18% of Oregon towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.4 points). Two sources give 1966.
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 Durham’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The city was named for Albert Alonzo Durham, founder of the nearby city of Lake Oswego. Durham operated a sawmill and a flour mill on Fanno Creek, which flows through the city, from 1866 until his death in 1898. The site, located along the Boones Ferry Road to Portland, was originally known as Durhams Mills. In 1908, the Oregon Electric Railway established a stop called Durham at the location. Residents of the city voted for incorporation in 1966 to protect the location from industrialization of its residential areas. Today, the community is primarily residential.
In 1966, according to Wikidata. the census of 1970 counted 410 people here.
How does Durham rank for history?
Durham is more historic than 4% 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.
How old are the homes in Durham?
2% of Durham’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.4 points), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1990.
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 (5), Wikipedia, 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.
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