Heber dates to 1859, and 12 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 51% of U.S. towns · #38 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Heber was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2003. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1917 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Heber’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Heber is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #38 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Heber’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 Heber’s 7.2 sits near the middle of its state (60% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 13 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% 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 (±2.9 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1859.
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 Heber’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Heber City was first settled in 1859 by Robert Broadhead, James Davis, and James Gurr. John W. Witt built the first house in the area. The area was under the direction of Bishop Silas Smith, who was in Provo. In 1860, Joseph S. Murdock became the bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Heber City and its vicinity.
During the Second World War, a group of Japanese-Americans formed a voluntary relocation camp in nearby Keetley. Some Japanese-Americans also resided in Heber City.
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.
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 1859, according to Wikidata. Heber’s post office opened in 1864, and the census of 1870 counted 658 people here.
How does Heber rank for history?
Heber is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #38 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 Heber?
12 listings: 12 buildings, among them the Wasatch Stake Tabernacle and Heber Amusement Hall (listed 1970, the first). 13 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Heber?
9% of Heber’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2003.
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 Library of Congress (8), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (12), 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.
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