Midway dates to 1859, and 15 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 43% of U.S. towns · #52 of 119 in Utah. What drives it
Most of Midway was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. Below: maps from 1955 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1864.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Midway’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Midway is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #52 of 119 in Utah. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Midway’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 Midway’s 47.0 sits above most of its state (84% of Utah towns have fewer) while its 29 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 C− to B. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 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 Midway’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first known European-Americans to visit the area were members of a fur-trapping brigade led by Étienne Provost, a French-Canadian trapper, in 1824. This expedition explored the region, which was then known as Upper Provo, a name derived from the Provo River that flows through the valley. While these early visitors did not establish permanent settlements, their journey marked the beginning of exploration in the area.
In 1859, according to Wikidata. Midway’s post office opened in 1864, and the census of 1870 counted 378 people here.
How does Midway rank for history?
Midway is more historic than 43% of U.S. towns, #52 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 Midway?
15 listings: 15 buildings, among them the Watkins-Coleman House (listed 1971, the first). 29 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Midway?
2% of Midway’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 2.8% for an Utah town; the median home was built in 2006.
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 (4), Wikidata (8), the National Register of Historic Places (15), 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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