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History · Sterling

Sterling dates to 1873, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1966 on and the census since 1880.

1873founded
0on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Sterling began

When was Sterling founded?

1873

Sterling dates its founding to 1873 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1880.

First census: 216 in 18802020 census: 274153 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1876.

What stands out about Sterling’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Sterling are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1900 and 1960, then more than doubled.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Sterling’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sterling’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Sterling, census by census

010020030018801900192019401960198020002020335 in 1900Low: 137

Lost half of its people between 1900 and 1960, then more than doubled.

15 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Sterling’s Wikipedia page.

The story so far

Sterling, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Sterling yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Sterling is a town in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 274 at the 2020 census.

Sterling was established in 1873. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 262 to 274 (+5%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Sterling, 1873 to 1976

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1873
    FoundingSterling is established
  3. 1876Post officeThe Pettyville post office opens
  4. 1882Post officeThe Pettyville post office closes
  5. 1882Post officeThe Sterling post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1900CensusPopulation peaks at 335
  8. 1966On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1976Post officeThe Sterling post office closes
By decade

Sterling, decade by decade

Today3 recent
Welcome signs with outdoor themes dominate the decorations outside a modest home in the little town of Sterling in sout…2022Welcome signs with outdoor themes dominate the decora…Sterling Utah Heritage Monument2013Sterling Utah Heritage MonumentSterling2010Sterling
On the map

Sterling on the map, 1966 to 2001

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sterling. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Sterling on the 1966 USGS mapSterling on the 2001 USGS map1966Sterling sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Sterling.

Famous people

Famous people close to Sterling

Nobody well known was born in Sterling itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Spencer Cox18th Governor of Utah since 2021 · b. 1975
Art AcordAmerican silent film actor, stuntman, ranch hand · b. 1890
Leonard B. JordanGovernor of Idaho and United States Senator · b. 1899
M
Mike LookinlandAmerican actor · b. 1960
L
Leroy RobertsonAmerican composer and music educator · b. 1896
Albert Sherman ChristensenUnited States federal judge · b. 1905
Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Sterling had its own post office from 1882 to 1976. Another post office, Pettyville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Pettyville
1876–1882
Sterling
1882–1976
18701950today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Sterling’s history

What year was Sterling founded?

In 1873, according to Wikidata. Sterling’s post office opened in 1876, and the census of 1880 counted 216 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (2), the Library of Congress (1), 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.