Toronto dates to 1884, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940
How Toronto began, and where its name came from
When was Toronto founded?
Toronto dates its founding to 1884 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). Its post office opened in 1879.
How did Toronto get its name?
Toronto was laid out in 1884, and named after the capital of Ontario, Canada, the native home of a first settler.
Lost post offices
Toronto’s post office has been open since 1888. Another post office, Blom, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
Questions about Toronto’s history
What year was Toronto founded?
In 1884, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Toronto’s post office opened in 1879.
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 →
From 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.