More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #614 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Southlake was built recently: 0.4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1997. Below: maps from 1931 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Southlake is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #614 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Southlake’s overall grade.
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 Southlake’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1956.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size.
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 Southlake’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Southlake area was settled in the 1840s but was not incorporated as Southlake until 1956, four years after the construction of Grapevine Lake was completed. Before incorporation, the settlements of Whites Chapel, Dove, Union Church, and Jellico made up present-day Southlake. The nearby town of Hurst had intended to annex the area that is now Southlake in 1956, but residents voted on Sept. 25, 1956 to form the town of Southlake. Anthony Gail Eubanks was elected the first mayor, and his daughter chose the name Southlake due to its proximity to the newly completed Grapevine Lake. The area remained rural until the completion of the DFW International Airport in the 1970s. Due to the close proximity to the airport, Southlake became a boomburb throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
In 1956, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 1,023 people here.
How does Southlake rank for history?
Southlake is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #614 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.
How old are the homes in Southlake?
0.4% of Southlake’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1997.
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), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
2011
2009
2009
2008
2006
2005
