Half of West Haven-Sylvan’s homes were built after 1985
Among the newest of U.S. towns · #134 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it
Most of West Haven-Sylvan was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. Below: maps from 1915 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Haven-Sylvan is among the newest of U.S. towns, #134 of 142 in Oregon. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Haven-Sylvan’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 West Haven-Sylvan’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 two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. 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 West Haven-Sylvan’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of West Haven-Sylvan. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1915Hillsboro sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of West Haven-Sylvan.
In 1850, Nathan B. Jones, a pioneer of 1847, settled at the head of Tanner Creek and platted lots for a community he called "Zion Town". It is unknown if he named the place for Mount Zion, a summit located about a mile to the southeast. Because the name "Zion" for a local post office would have caused confusion, as there had already been two post offices so-named in Oregon, a resident suggested the name "Sylvan", from Silvanus, the Roman deity of the woods. The office was established in 1890 and closed in 1906. Jones, who was considered an eccentric hermit, had wanted Zion Town to become the new capital of Oregon. He was murdered during the course of a robbery in 1894. The Sylvan post office was located at what today is the interchange of Sunset Highway, Scholls Ferry Road and Skyline Boulevard within the Portland city limits in Multnomah County.
West Haven-Sylvan is among the newest of U.S. towns, #134 of 142 in Oregon. 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 West Haven-Sylvan?
0.0% of West Haven-Sylvan’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.3% for an Oregon town; the median home was built in 1985.
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 (1), 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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