Midland dates to 1881, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns · #205 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Midland was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1910.
Midland dates its founding to 1881 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1910.
First census: 2,192 in 19102020 census: 132,524145 years
How did Midland get its name?
Midland’s name came from its central location between Fort Worth and El Paso, but because there were already other towns in Texas named Midway, the city changed its name to Midland in January 1884 when it was granted its first post office.
How historic is Midland?
C+
More historic than 35% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1884. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Midland’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Midland is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #205 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Midland’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Midland ranks #285 on History.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Midland’s 0.4 sits above most of its state (70% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.
Newer cities are common at Midland’s size: in the typical U.S. city of 100,000 or more, 5% of homes predate 1940.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B. The pre-1940 share (±0.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1881.
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 Midland’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1900Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Famous people
44 famous people were born in Midland
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Midland was established in June 1881 as Midway Station, on the Texas and Pacific Railway. Its name came from its central location between Fort Worth and El Paso, but because there were already other towns in Texas named Midway, the city changed its name to Midland in January 1884 when it was granted its first post office.
Midland became the county seat of Midland County in March 1885, when that county was first organized and separated from Tom Green County. By 1890, it had become one of the state's most important cattle shipping centers. The city was incorporated in 1906, and by 1910 established its first fire department, along with a new water system.
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.
In 1881, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Midland’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1910 counted 2,192 people here.
How does Midland rank for history?
Midland is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns, #205 of 642 in Texas. 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 Midland?
5 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Brown-Dorsey House (listed 1982, the first). 6 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Midland?
1% of Midland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2004
