Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 9% of U.S. towns · #103 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Highland was built recently: 0.5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Below: maps from 1951 on and the census since 1900.
Highland dates its founding to 1977 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.
Highland was named by Scottish Mormon immigrants who felt the area resembled the highlands of Scotland.
More historic than 9% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Highland is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #103 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
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 Highland’s 0.5 sits near the middle of its state (39% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Highland’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Highland.
Highland was settled by homesteaders in the 1870s. It was named by Scottish Mormon immigrants who felt the area resembled the highlands of Scotland.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereAlexis Warr is born hereEvery edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Highland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Highland.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Grew from 195 people in 1900 to 19,348 in 2020, more than tenfold.
12 censuses, 1900–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Highland’s Wikipedia page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1977, according to Wikidata. the census of 1900 counted 195 people here.
Highland is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #103 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.
One place: the Upper American Fork Hydroelectric Power Plant Historic District (listed 1989).
0.5% of Highland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2004.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2015
2008
2008
2004
2004
2004
