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C−History
History · Shoreline

Shoreline dates to 1995, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns · #172 of 285 in Washington. What drives it

Most of Shoreline was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1969. Its Register listings are the William E. Boeing House and the Seattle Naval Hospital Chapel. Its Register listings are the William E. Boeing House and the Seattle Naval Hospital Chapel. Below: maps from 1953 on and the census since 1990.

1995founded
2on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Shoreline began

When was Shoreline founded?

1995

Shoreline dates its founding to 1995 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1990.

First census: 52,109 in 19902020 census: 58,60831 years

How historic is Shoreline?

C−

More historic than 22% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1889.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Shoreline’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Shoreline is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #172 of 285 in Washington. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Shoreline’s overall grade.
Founding era1995, from Wikidata: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19404.3% of homes (±0.9) · typical WA town 4.3% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register2 listings, 4 historic buildings, 0.7 per 10,000 residents · typical WA town 0.1 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 22%
NewerOlder
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 40%

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 Shoreline’s 0.7 sits near the middle of its state (58% of Washington towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1995.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (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 Shoreline’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Shoreline, and 12 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Shoreline are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Richmond
1889–1910
Richmond Beach
1910–1964
Richmond Highlands
1912–1948
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BriarcrestEcho LakeEvergreenNorth CityParamount ParkParkwoodRichmond BeachRichmond HighlandsRidgecrestRonaldSpring BeachThe Highlands
Gone or out of use
North City Elementary Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Shoreline
HolyroodMachzikay Hadath

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Shoreline’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Shoreline’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Shoreline came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Shoreline.

Read it all →

The modern-day Shoreline area is within the historic territory of local Coast Salish peoples, now considered subgroups of the Duwamish. A trail stretched from Salmon Bay (šilšul), where Shilshole (šilšulabš) villages were, to Green Lake, and then traveled north through bogs that housed Licton Springs and the headwaters of the south fork of Thornton Creek, and continued up to Haller Lake. From there it wound through the peat bogs where Twin Ponds and Ronald Bog Parks are now. Large quantities of cranberries were once gathered at these bogs, as well as salmonberries and skunk cabbage along the banks of Thornton Creek. The x̌ax̌čuʔabš from Lake Union (x̌ax̌čuʔ) traveled to this area to gather cranberries.

ChaptersCoast SalishModern settlement

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Shoreline, 1889 to 2000

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1889Post officeThe Richmond post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1910Post officeThe Richmond post office closes
  5. 1910Post officeThe Richmond Beach post office opens
  6. 1912Post officeThe Richmond Highlands post office opens
  7. 1948Post officeThe Richmond Highlands post office closes
  8. 1953On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1964Post officeThe Richmond Beach post office closes
  10. 1987Born hereGeorge John is born here
  11. 1992Born hereKatrina Young is born here
  12. 1995
    FoundingShoreline is established
  13. 21st century
  14. 2000Born hereSinatraa is born here
By decade

Shoreline, decade by decade

Today1 recent
Glacial till along Boeing Creek - Flickr - brewbooks2015Glacial till along Boeing Creek - Flickr - brewbooks
On the map

Shoreline on the map, 1953 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Shoreline. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Shoreline on the 1953 USGS mapShoreline on the 1968 USGS mapShoreline on the 1973 USGS mapShoreline on the 1981 USGS map1953Edmonds East sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Shoreline.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Shoreline

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
William E. Boeing House
William E. Boeing HouseSeattle Naval Hospital Chapel
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Mediterranean Revival1
All 2 listings
William E. Boeing HouseBuilding · listed 1988Seattle Naval Hospital ChapelBuilding · listed 2023

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Shoreline, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00020002020Peak: 58,608

Between 52,109 and 58,608 people in every census since 1990.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Shoreline’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Shoreline

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
G
George JohnAmerican soccer player · b. 1987
K
Katrina YoungAmerican diver · b. 1992
SinatraaCompetitive videogame player · b. 2000
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Lake Forest Park1 historic placeC+Edmonds1 historic placeCSeattle226 historic placesA−

Questions about Shoreline’s history

What year was Shoreline founded?

In 1995, according to Wikidata. Shoreline’s post office opened in 1889, and the census of 1990 counted 52,109 people here.

How does Shoreline rank for history?

Shoreline is more historic than 22% of U.S. towns, #172 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 Shoreline?

Two places: the William E. Boeing House (listed 1988) and the Seattle Naval Hospital Chapel (2023).

How old are the homes in Shoreline?

4% of Shoreline’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 4.3% for a Washington town; the median home was built in 1969.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, 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.