Burbank’s post office opened in 1873, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
Most of Burbank was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978.
How Burbank began, and where its name came from
When was Burbank founded?
The Burbank post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name.
How did Burbank get its name?
Burbank was laid out in 1873, and it is named in honor of John A. Burbank, the fourth Governor of Dakota Territory.
1 historic place in Burbank
The 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.
Questions about Burbank’s history
What year was Burbank founded?
The Burbank post office opened in 1873, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
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). How TownRatings grades history →