More historic than 7% of U.S. towns · #261 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Most of Burbank was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1990.
The Burbank post office opened in 1908, the earliest record of the town by name.
First census: 1,745 in 19902020 census: 3,499118 years
How did Burbank get its name?
Burbank was named by the Northern Pacific Railway for Burbank Power & Water Company, which had been named for the famous horticulturist Luther Burbank.
How historic is Burbank?
D
More historic than 7% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Burbank is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #261 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Burbank’s overall grade.
Few Washington towns list much on the Register (a typical Washington town has 0.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Burbank’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (27% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be D. The pre-1940 share (±1.5 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Burbank’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Originally home to the Walla Walla tribe, who lived at the confluence of the Snake and the Columbia rivers.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through the location October 16, 1805 on their way to the Pacific Ocean.
A town was founded in 1907 along the river. It was named by the Northern Pacific Railway for Burbank Power & Water Company, which had been named for the famous horticulturist Luther Burbank.
A bridge built in 1921 over the Snake River connected the community with Pasco. This bridge burned in 1949, and was rebuilt in 1952.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Burbank has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
The Burbank post office opened in 1908, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Burbank rank for history?
Burbank is more historic than 7% of U.S. towns, #261 of 285 in Washington. 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 Burbank?
1% of Burbank’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.5 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1983.
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 the Library of Congress (1), Wikipedia, 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.
2018
