Most of Carnation was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1993. Its Register listings are the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Hall No. 148, the Andrew and Bergette Hjertoos Farm and the David and Martha Entwistles House. Below: 3 old photos and papers from 1905 on.
The Carnation post office opened in 1922, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Tolt (1883), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
2020 census: 2,158104 years
How historic is Carnation?
C+
More historic than 42% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Carnation post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Carnation’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Carnation is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Carnation’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 Carnation’s 16.9 sits above most of its state (90% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±4.6 points). 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 Carnation’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Snoqualmie people have inhabited the Carnation area for more than 10,000 years. Prior to American settlement, the Snoqualmie had a large village spanning the Tolt River (Lushootseed: tultxʷ) at its confluence with the Snoqualmie. This village was highly important as it was the second-largest village in the Snoqualmie river valley. The village also had the best natural defenses in the Snoqualmie river valley.
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.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices and old corners
Carnation’s post office has been open since 1922. Another post office, Tolt, opened and closed inside today’s town.
Tolt
1883–1922
Carnation
1922–today
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Carnation Mobile Haven
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Carnation’s history
What year was Carnation founded?
The Carnation post office opened in 1922, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Carnation rank for history?
Carnation is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns. 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 Carnation?
Three places: the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Hall No. 148 (listed 1999), the Andrew and Bergette Hjertoos Farm (2002) and the David and Martha Entwistles House (1999).
How old are the homes in Carnation?
9% of Carnation’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1993.
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 (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.
c. 1905
2012
2008
2004