1 of McChord AFB’s places is on the National Register
More historic than 67% of U.S. towns · #31 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Most of McChord AFB was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Below: maps from 1941 on and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, McChord AFB is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #31 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of McChord AFB’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 McChord AFB’s 103 sits above most of its state (96% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 31 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% 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 (±4.4 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 McChord AFB’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1917, the citizens of Pierce County, Washington approved a bond measure for $2,000,000 (equivalent to $50,259,740 in 2025) to buy 70,000 acres (283.28 km2) of land to be donated to the Federal Government for use as a military reservation. This land became Camp Lewis (and later Fort Lewis). Ten years later, in 1927, another bond measure was passed to establish an airfield just north of the military reservation. The airfield, named Tacoma Field, officially opened 14 March 1930.
McChord AFB is more historic than 67% of U.S. towns, #31 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.
What is on the National Register in McChord AFB?
One place: the McChord Field Historic District (listed 2008).
How old are the homes in McChord AFB?
5% of McChord AFB’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.4 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 2002.
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 National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
