The Millwood post office opened in 1915, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1927.
First census: 493 in 19302020 census: 1,881111 years
How did Millwood get its name?
Millwood was named for the local sawmill.
More on the name
According to the Tacoma Public Library's Washington Place Names database: "In 1900, it was chosen as a station by the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Electric Railway, and was named Woodard's for the family who owned the land along the railway route. When Inland Empire Paper Company built a paper mill they requested a name change to Milltown.
How historic is Millwood?
B
More historic than 60% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Millwood is more historic than 60% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Millwood’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 Millwood’s 381 sits above most of its state (99% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 72 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1927 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
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 Millwood’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Millwood was officially incorporated as a town on October 26, 1927. It was named for the local sawmill.
According to the Tacoma Public Library's Washington Place Names database: "In 1900, it was chosen as a station by the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Electric Railway, and was named Woodard's for the family who owned the land along the railway route. When Inland Empire Paper Company built a paper mill they requested a name change to Milltown. Railway officials refused the change unless the Woodard family agreed. A compromise resulted, using the word mill combined with the first four letters of Woodard. It was incorporated October 27, 1927."
The Millwood post office opened in 1915, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1927.
How does Millwood rank for history?
Millwood is more historic than 60% 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 Millwood?
Three places: the Rosebush House (listed 2000), the Millwood Historic District (2001) and the West Valley High School (1991).
How old are the homes in Millwood?
17% of Millwood’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1957.
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 (11), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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