On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Clinton is more historic than 18% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Clinton’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 Clinton’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 two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 points).
Founding year: our sources. 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 Clinton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Whidbey Island was originally inhabited by Coast Salish tribes, including the Suquamish, Swinomish, Lower Skagit, and Snohomish. Clinton, was primarily inhabited by the Snohomish tribe. There were three main Snohomish villages in southern Whidbey: D’GWAD’wk (Digwadsh), TSEHT-skluhks, and SHET’LH-shet-lhuts. The Digwadsh, meaning "in the basket", was the largest of these villages. It had about seven longhouses and frequently welcomed visits from neighboring tribes like the Duwamish and Suquamish. Today, many descendants of the Digwadsh live on the Tulalip Reservation.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Clinton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1942Edmonds sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Clinton.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Columbia Beach
1cemetery inside Clinton
Clinton
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Clinton’s history
How does Clinton rank for history?
Clinton is more historic than 18% 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.
How old are the homes in Clinton?
5% of Clinton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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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