Farmington dates to 1847, and 19 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #20 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Farmington was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. 19 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 13 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1952 on, and the census since 1860.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1854.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Farmington’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Farmington is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #20 of 119 in Utah. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Farmington’s overall grade.
Utah towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Utah town has 3.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Farmington’s 11.0 sits above most of its state (67% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 28 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1847.
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 Farmington’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The region that is now Farmington was settled in 1847 by the Haight family, a Mormon pioneer family that established a farm and an inn. Five more pioneering families migrated to this region in the autumn of 1849. The region developed into an undefined community originally called North Cottonwood Settlement. In 1852, the territorial legislature picked North Cottonwood as the county seat and officially named it Farmington. Following orders from Daniel H. Wells and Brigham Young, Farmington residents built a wall around the city in 1853 under the direction of Major Thomas S. Smith. This walled townsite became known as "the Fort". Early church meetings were held in a log school and then an adobe structure. The county courthouse was used for religious meetings from 1855 to 1863. The city's ward moved back to the schoolhouse, and the first meetinghouse was dedicated in January 1864. By the ea…
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 1847, according to Wikidata. Farmington’s post office opened in 1854, and the census of 1860 counted 591 people here.
How does Farmington rank for history?
Farmington is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #20 of 119 in Utah. 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 Farmington?
19 listings: 15 buildings, among them the Richards House (listed 1977, the first), 1 historic district, the Clark Lane Historic District, with 13 contributing buildings, and 3 structures. 28 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Farmington?
4% of Farmington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2002.
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 (3), Wikidata (9), the National Register of Historic Places (19), 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) 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.
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