Waco’s post office opened in 1866, and 23 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns · #99 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Waco was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 23 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 380 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1870.
The Waco post office opened in 1866, the earliest record of the town by name. Five smaller post offices, Bosqueville (1860), South Bosque (1872) and Speegleville (1879), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 3,008 in 18702020 census: 138,486160 years
How historic is Waco?
B
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Waco post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Waco’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waco is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #99 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waco’s overall grade.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Waco ranks #212 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 Waco’s 28.1 sits above most of its state (92% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 403 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Waco’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Indigenous peoples occupied areas along the river for thousands of years. In historic times, the area of present-day Waco was occupied by the Wichita Indian tribe known as the "Waco" (Spanish: Hueco or Huaco).
In 1824, Thomas M. Duke was sent to explore the area after violence erupted between the Waco people and the European settlers.
This town is situated on the West Bank of the river. They have a spring almost as cold as ice itself. All we want is some Brandy and Sugar to have Ice Toddy. They have about 400 acres (1.6 km2) planted in corn, beans, pumpkins, and melons and that tended in good order. I think they cannot raise more than One Hundred Warriors.
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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waco. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1931Elm Mott 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 Waco.
Every building
Waco, building by building, 1885–1926
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.
The Waco post office opened in 1866, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Waco rank for history?
Waco is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns, #99 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 Waco?
23 listings: 17 buildings, 4 historic districts with 380 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 403 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Waco?
6% of Waco’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1979.
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 (23), 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.
1898
1908
1913
