More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #79 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Most of Poquoson was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1907 on, and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Poquoson is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #79 of 253 in Virginia. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Poquoson’s overall grade.
Virginia towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Virginia town has 3.6 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Poquoson’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (17% of Virginia towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1630.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.9 points) is firm at this size.
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 Poquoson’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Cedar Landing EstatesEarnessFreemoor EstatesLa TierraMessickOddPoquoson River EstatesPoquoson ShoresPowhatan PlaceRivergateShady Oaks Mobile Home ParkYork Haven Anchorage
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Poquoson
EasternEmmausTrinityWestern
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The name of the city is a Native American word which roughly translates to "great marsh." The term pocosin, with its varied spellings, was a term used by the area's inhabitants to describe a low, marshy, woody place covered by water in the winter, but dry in the summer. These Native Americans were Algonquians, a tribal group affiliated through the Powhatan Confederacy, and were defensive to the early colonizers. A petition to have the name of the parish and river changed was an attempt to rid the language of all vestiges of Indian terms. However, "poquoson" has survived through the centuries and has become a proper noun used to designate the present 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.
In 1630, according to Wikidata. the census of 1960 counted 4,278 people here.
How does Poquoson rank for history?
Poquoson is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #79 of 253 in Virginia. 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.
How old are the homes in Poquoson?
9% of Poquoson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 1.9% for a Virginia town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (2), the Library of Congress (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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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