- List of North American cities by year of foundation
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This is a list of cities in North America by founding year and present-day country.
Year City State or province Country Notes 700 BC Ticul Yucatán Mexico 500 BC Cholula Puebla Mexico 300 BC Teotihuacan México Mexico In the Valley of Mexico 200 Mitla Oaxaca Mexico 650 Cahokia Illinois US 1000 Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo New Mexico US Oldest continuously occupied communities in the USA. The Acoma Pueblo today is known as Sky City. 1003? L'Anse aux Meadows Newfoundland & Labrador Canada The Norse explorer Leif Ericson established a settlement at 51°N on this site in 1003. 1050 Motul Yucatán Mexico 1054 Antiguo Cuscatlan La Libertad El Salvador Cuscatlán was founded in 1054 by Topiltzin Atzil, last king of Tula of Anahuac. It was a city inhabited by ten thousand, with an additional twelve thousand people who lived in xacal, straw huts distributed at the edge of a maar (crater) which housed the sacred lake of Cuscatlan. In the contemporary Native language, Cuscatlán means Jewel City. On Saturday June 17, 1524, led by Pedro de Alvarado, the Spanish conquistadors found the doors of Cuscatlan, capital of the Lordship of Cuscatlan. 1100 Oraibi Arizona USA (Hopi Reservation) [1] 1325 Tenochtitlan Distrito Federal Mexico Today this city is known as Mexico City 1450 Zuni Pueblo New Mexico USA [2] 1497 St. John's Newfoundland Canada Capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Founded 24 June, 1497. 1498 Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional Dominican Republic Capital of the Dominican Republic. Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the Americas. 1508 Caparra Puerto Rico 1510 Nombre de Dios Colón Panama Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Panama. 1511 Baracoa Guantánamo Cuba Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Cuba, former capital of Cuba. 1514 Santiago Santiago Cuba 1515 Havana Havana Cuba Current Capital of Cuba 1519 La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, (Veracruz) Veracruz Mexico Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Mexico and continental America. 1519 [3] Panama City Panama First European city on the Pacific coast of the Americas 1521 San Juan Puerto Rico USA (unincorporated territory) Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Puerto Rico. 1525 San Salvador San Salvador Department El Salvador Diego de Holguín became the first mayor of San Salvador after the town was founded on April 1, 1525. Originally founded in what is now the archaeological site Ciudad Vieja, north of the present-day city, it was moved to the Valle de Las Hamacas or the Acelhuate Valley, named so due to the intense seismic activity that characterizes it. On January 2011 San Salvador was named the Iboeroamerican Capital of Culture because the first independent movements in Central America were played in San Salvador on November 5th, 1811. 1526 Granada Granada Nicaragua Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Nicaragua. 1526 Acámbaro Guanajuato Mexico 1531 Mazatlán Sinaloa Mexico 1531 Culiacán Sinaloa Mexico 1532 Oaxaca Oaxaca Mexico 1536 San Pedro Sula Cortés Honduras 1540 Campeche Campeche Mexico 1542 Yuriria Guanajuato Mexico 1542 Mérida Yucatan Mexico Founded by Francisco de Montejo over the ruins of the Mayan city T'ho. 1542 Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico 1542 San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato Mexico 1550 Acapulco Guerrero Mexico Discovered by Cortés in 1531; settlement founded in 1550.[1] 1552 San Luis de la Paz Guanajuato Mexico 1563 Cartago Cartago Costa Rica Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement Costa Rica. 1564 Fort Caroline Florida United States Oldest European established settlement in the United States. 1565 Saint Augustine Florida United States Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the United States. 1575 Saltillo Coahuila Mexico Oldest post-conquest settlement in northern Mexico.[2] 1575 Aguascalientes Aguascalientes Mexico 1576 León Guanajuato Mexico 1583 St. John's[3] Newfoundland and Labrador Canada 1583 Harbour Grace[4] Newfoundland and Labrador Canada 1585 Roanoke Colony Colony of Virginia United States Settlers first left on island August 17, 1585.[5] 1596 Monterrey Nuevo León Mexico 1597 Portobelo Colón Panama 1598 Parras Coahuila Mexico 1599 Tadoussac Quebec Canada Oldest continuously inhabited French established settlement in the Americas, oldest European established settlement in Quebec. 1603 Salamanca Guanajuato Mexico 1605 Port Royal Nova Scotia Canada Established in the summer of 1605 by French colonizing explorers Pierre du Gua de Monts and Samuel de Champlain who, in 1608, would establish Quebec City. 1607 Jamestown Virginia United States oldest colony in the original thirteen colonies comprising the United States of America 1607 Santa Fe New Mexico United States Oldest continuously inhabited state capital in the US. 1608 Quebec City Quebec Canada Original settlement on this site was established by Jacques Cartier in 1535 but abandoned in 1536. He returned in 1541 but abandoned the site again. Samuel de Champlain established a permanent settlement on July 3–4, 1608. Only completely garrison-walled city north of Mexico. 1610 Cupids Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Oldest continuously occupied English settlement in Canada. 1610 Hampton Virginia United States Oldest continuously occupied English settlement in the United States. 1610 Kecoughtan Virginia United States 1612 St. George's Bermuda Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Bermuda. 1613 Newport News, Virginia Virginia United States 1614 Albany, New York New York United States Oldest settlement in the United States north of Virginia 1620 Plymouth Massachusetts United States The oldest town in New England 1622 Weymouth Massachusetts United States As Wessagussett, resettled and renamed in 1623 1623 Dover New Hampshire United States oldest settlement in New Hampshire 1623 Gloucester Massachusetts United States 1624 Chelsea Massachusetts United States originally called Winnisimmet 1625 New Amsterdam New York United States Now New York City. 1626 Salem Massachusetts United States 1627 Basseterre Saint Kitts and Nevis 1628 Bridgetown Barbados 1629 Lynn United States 1629 Charlestown Massachusetts United States 1630 Berwick Maine United States Oldest continuously settled town in Maine.[6] 1630 Boston Massachusetts United States 1630 Jersey City, New Jersey New Jersey United States Pavonia, first Dutch settlement in New Jersey 1630 Medford Massachusetts United States Settled on the "Ford" by Meadow 1630 Boston Massachusetts United States settled as New Towne, part of which became Cambridge, Massachusetts 1631 Saint John New Brunswick Canada 1631 Lewes Delaware United States Because Lewes was the earliest town founded in the state, and because Delaware was the first state to ratify the constitution, the town refers to itself as "The first town in the first state." 1631 Cambridge Massachusetts United States Drake, Samuel Adams (1880). History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. 1. Boston: Estes and Lauriat. pp. 305–16. http://books.google.com/books?id=QGolOAyd9RMC&pg=PA316&lpg=PA305&dq=newetowne&source=bl&ots=bWCYe4Smmz&sig=SqBiih-2JOSzUBFnLaYU72oUmBI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=6&ct=result#PPA305,M1. Retrieved December 26, 2008. 1632 Williamsburg Virginia United States 1632 St. John's Antigua and Barbuda 1633 Windsor Connecticut United States First English settlement in Connecticut.[7] 1634 Green Bay Wisconsin United States 1634 St. Mary's City Maryland United States 1634 Trois-Rivières Quebec Canada 1634 Willemstad Netherlands Antilles 1635 Concord Massachusetts United States 1636 Providence Rhode Island United States Oldest settlement in Rhode Island 1637 Hartford Connecticut United States 1637 Taunton Massachusetts United States 1637 Sandwich Massachusetts United States Oldest town on Cape Cod 1638 Swedesboro New Jersey United States Nucleus of the New Sweden colony that spread along the Delaware River into Pennsylvania and Delaware. 1638 New Haven Connecticut United States 1638 Wilmington Delaware United States Grew from Fort Christina, part of the New Sweden colony. Originally called Willington. 1639 (prior to) St. Marks Florida United States [8] 1639 Stratford Connecticut United States [9] 1639 Newport Rhode Island United States 1640 Woburn Massachusetts United States First settled in 1640, incorporated in 1642 [10] 1642 Montreal Quebec Canada 1642 Lexington Massachusetts United States [11] 1643 Basse-Terre Guadeloupe Territorial capital. 1643 Dolores Hidalgo Guanajuato Mexico 1643 Guilford Connecticut United States [12] 1644 Salvatierra Guanajuato Mexico 1646 North Andover Massachusetts United States The original Andover, founded by Simon and Anne Bradstreet along with the Barker, Osgood, Stevens, Woodbridge and other families, broke into two separate towns April 7, 1855. 1646 New London Connecticut United States 1647 Kittery Maine United States Oldest incorporated town in Maine.[8] 1649 Annapolis Maryland United States 1651 Medfield Massachusetts United States http://www.town.medfield.net/index.cfm?pid=12391 1651 New Castle Delaware United States Grew from Fort Casimir 1653 Lancaster Massachusetts United States 1659 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua Mexico 1659 Jamestown Saint Helena 1660 Placentia Newfoundland Canada French Capital unil 1713, originally called Plaisance 1660 Rye New York United States 1664 Woodbridge New Jersey United States One of the first five New Jersey settlements. Woodbridge was also the first Presbyterian (English) settlement in the state. 1664 Albany New York United States 1665 Port-de-Paix Nord-Ouest Department Haiti 1666 Newark New Jersey United States 1666 Piscatawaytown New Jersey United States One of the first five New Jersey settlements. Now part of Edison, NJ 1668 Sault Ste. Marie Michigan United States [13], oldest city in Michigan. 1669 Westfield Massachusetts United States [14] 1670 Charleston South Carolina United States 1670 Wallingford Connecticut United States [15] 1673 Kingston Ontario Canada Grew from Fort Frontenac. 1674 Waterbury Connecticut United States 1680 South Orange New Jersey United States Grew from Newark (later Orange). 1681 Cockburn Town Turks and Caicos Islands 1682 Philadelphia Pennsylvania United States 1682 Norfolk Virginia United States 1683 Dover Delaware United States 1685 Prairie du Chien Wisconsin United States 1687 New Britain Connecticut United States 1693 Kingston Jamaica 1693 Burlington New Jersey United States 1694 Newark Delaware United States 1696 Rimouski Quebec Canada 1698 Pensacola Florida United States 1699 Biloxi Mississippi United States 1699 Baton Rouge Louisiana United States 1701 Detroit Michigan United States 1702 Mobile Alabama United States 1703 Kaskaskia Illinois United States 1705 Bath North Carolina United States Oldest incorporated town in North Carolina. 1706 Albuquerque New Mexico United States 1709 Chihuahua Chihuahua Mexico 1710 Chatham New Jersey United States On land purchased in 1680. 1710 New Bern North Carolina United States Settled initially by German-Swiss immigrants. 1714 Natchitoches Louisiana United States Oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase 1714 Freehold New Jersey United States Originally called Monmouth Courthouse, the site of the Battle of Monmouth 1715 (prior to) Kekionga Indiana United States Capital of the Miami tribe. 1716 Nacogdoches Texas United States Spanish mission established about 1716 in a much older Caddo village.[9] 1716 Natchez Mississippi United States Dates to the founding of Fort Rosalie by the French.[16] 1718 New Orleans Louisiana United States 1718 San Antonio Texas United States 1719 Trenton New Jersey United States 1721 Cortazar Guanajuato Mexico 1722 Prairie Du Rocher Illinois United States 1723 Beaufort North Carolina United States 1725 Concord New Hampshire United States 1728 Fredericksburg Virginia United States 1729 Baltimore Maryland United States 1733 Richmond Virginia United States History - Richmond (VA) website Economic History - Richmond (VA) website 1733 Savannah Georgia United States 1735 Ste. Genevieve Missouri United States French-Colonial settlement. Oldest continually-inhabited settlement in Missouri. 1738 Fort Rouge Manitoba Canada Now Winnipeg, Manitoba. 1749 Alexandria Virginia United States 1749 Port-au-Prince Ouest Department Haiti 1749 Halifax Nova Scotia Canada 1749 Windsor Ontario Canada Oldest continually-inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal 1750 Erie Pennsylvania United States Grew from the French Fort Presque Isle. 1751 Georgetown Maryland United States Originally in Maryland; became part of the District of Columbia when the District was organized in 1801. Georgetown and its government were incorporated into the District government in 1871. 1754 Augusta Maine United States 1755 Charlotte North Carolina United States 1758 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania United States 1761 Charlottesville Virginia United States 1762 Shepherdstown West Virginia United States Originally known as Mecklenburg. 1762 Allentown Pennsylvania United States Incorporated as Northamptontown. 1763 St. Louis Missouri United States 1763 Burlington Vermont United States 1768 New Smyrna Beach Florida United States Scottish entrepreneur Dr. Turnbull established a colony of 1,225 immigrants at New Smyrna.[10] 1769 Santa Cruz California United States 1769 San Diego California United States Grew from Presidio of San Diego. 1770 Monterey California United States Grew from Presidio of Monterey. Original capital of California [17] 1770 San Blas Nayarit Mexico Spanish Naval Department headquarters established at San Blas.[11] 1772 Ellicott City Maryland United States 1774 Unalaska Alaska United States Oldest Russian settlement of Aleutian Islands, dating to the 1760s.[12] Permanent trading post established in 1774.[13] 1774 Orizaba Veracruz Mexico In 1174, Charles IV grants the title of Villa, but the city was already a Spanish settlement since times of Cortez 1775 Tucson Arizona United States The town of Tucson had existed for over 2000 years at this point but this is the date the Spanish built a presidio and formally recognized the town 1775 Lexington Kentucky United States 1775 Boonesborough Kentucky United States Grew from Fort Boonesborough, built by pioneer Daniel Boone. 1776 San Francisco California United States 1777 San Jose California United States Originally known as El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, the first town in the Spanish colony of Nueva California, which later became Alta California. 1778 Louisville Kentucky United States Grew from Fort Nelson, established by explorer George Rogers Clark. 1779 Jonesborough Tennessee United States Later organized as the lost State of Franklin with Jonesborough as capital 1784.[14] 1779 Nashville Tennessee United States Grew from Fort Nashborough 1781 Montpelier Vermont United States 1781 Los Angeles California United States 1784 Frenchtown Michigan United States Third French settlement in Michigan 1785 Harrisburg Pennsylvania United States 1785 Asheville North Carolina United States 1786 Columbia South Carolina United States 1786 Florissant Missouri United States Originally known as St. Ferdinand. 1786 Frankfort Kentucky United States 1786 Portland Maine United States 1788 Marietta Ohio United States First permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory 1788 Cincinnati Ohio United States 1788 Charleston West Virginia United States Grew from Fort Lee. [18] 1789 Buffalo New York United States 1790 Washington District of Columbia United States 1791 Monroe Louisiana United States Originally known as Fort Miro. [19] 1791 Jacksonville Florida United States Known as "Cowford". 1791 Kenai Alaska United States Grew from Fort St. Nicholas of the Russian-American Company.[15] 1791 Knoxville Tennessee United States 1791 Bangor Maine United States 1792 Kodiak Alaska United States Founded in 1792 by Alexander Baranov as the new site for at Three Saints Bay, originally founded in 1784.[16] 1792 Raleigh North Carolina United States 1793 York Ontario Canada First established as Fort Rouillé; now Toronto. 1794 Fort Wayne Indiana United States 1795 Edmonton Alberta Canada Grew from Fort Edmonton. 1796 Cleveland Ohio United States 1797 Franklinton Ohio United States Eventually absorbed by Columbus, Ohio. 1798 Shepherdstown West Virginia United States Formerly known as Mecklenburg. 1799 Potosi Missouri United States Town was founded by Moses Austin, the same person which founded Austin, Texas and was the sight of many small battles during the American Civil War 1799 Sitka Alaska United States Original capital of Alaska, founded by the Russian-American Company in 1799, destroyed in 1802, reestablished in 1804.[17] 1800 Buffalo New York United States "In 1800, it was a town of four log cabins.".[18] 1800 Hull Quebec Canada Formerly known as Wrightville. 1803 Chicago Illinois United States Grew from Fort Dearborn. 1805 Huntsville Alabama United States 1807 Prince George British Columbia Canada Grew from fur trading post of Fort George, estalished in 1807 by the North West Company.[19] 1810 Manchester New Hampshire United States 1810 San Bernardino California United States 1811 Astoria Oregon United States Grew from Fort Astoria, founded by the Pacific Fur Company in 1811.[20] 1812 Columbus Ohio United States 1812 Kamloops British Columbia Canada Grew from fur trading posts of Fort Cumcloups (Fort Kamloops) and Fort She-whaps (Shuswap), founded by the Pacific Fur Company and North West Company, both in 1812.[21] 1815 Hamilton Ontario Canada 1816 Chattanooga Tennessee United States Originally named Ross's Landing. 1816 Cambridge Ontario Canada Original settlement in 1816 named Shades Mill, ON, renamed Galt, ON in 1827. City of Galt amalgamated with the towns of Preston and Hespeler, village of Blair and parts of Waterloo township to form City of Cambridge in 1973. Oldest settled area of Regional Municipality of Waterloo. 1816 Saginaw Michigan United States 1817 Fort Smith Arkansas United States 1818 Pontiac Michigan United States The first settlers arrived in what is now the City of Pontiac in 1818. Two years later there were enough people there to form a village named after the famous Indian Chief Chief Pontiac Pontiac was Michigan's first inland settlement.The village was officially recognized by the state legislature in 1837 and it incorporated as a city in 1861. 1818 Columbia Missouri United States 1819 Montgomery Alabama United States State capital, grew from the 1540 French settlement Fort Toulouse. 1819 Springfield Illinois United States 1819 Memphis Tennessee United States Near the site of the earlier French Fort Prudhomme. 1821 Alexandria British Columbia Canada Grew from fur trading posts of Fort Alexandria, founded by the North West Company in 1821.[22] 1821 Little Rock Arkansas United States 1821 Indianapolis Indiana United States 1822 Jackson Mississippi United States 1823 Tampa Florida United States Grew from earlier military post Fort Brooke. 1824 Tallahassee Florida United States 1825 Vancouver Washington United States Grew from Fort Vancouver.[23] 1825 Vicksburg Mississippi United States 1825 Grand Rapids Michigan United States 1825 Irapuato Guanajuato Mexico Becomes villa in 1825 and ciudad in 1893. 1826 London Ontario Canada 1826 Wabasha Minnesota United States Oldest city in Minnesota 1827 Guelph Ontario Canada 1827 St. Andrews Florida United States Now part of Panama City 1828 Key West Florida United States 1833 Milwaukee Wisconsin United States 1833 Kitchener Ontario Canada Formerly Berlin ON, renamed Kitchener ON in 1916. 1836 Shreveport Louisiana United States 1836 Madison Wisconsin United States 1837 Lansing Michigan United States 1837 Houston Texas United States 1839 Sacramento California United States 1841 Dallas Texas United States 1843 Atlanta Georgia United States Originally known as Marthasville, Georgia. 1843 Victoria British Columbia Canada 1847 Brantford Ontario Canada Originally known as Brant's ford. 1847 Salt Lake City Utah United States Originally known as Great Salt Lake City. 1847 Harrisburg Illinois United States 1850 Bytown Ontario Canada Now Ottawa, Ontario. 1851 La Crosse Wisconsin United States[24] 1851 Seattle Washington United States [25] 1854 Omaha Nebraska United States 1856 O'Fallon Missouri United States 1857 Waterloo Ontario Canada 1858 Denver Colorado United States 1862 Victoria British Columbia Canada Provincial Capital of British Columbia 1864 Salinas California United States [20] 1867 Minneapolis Minnesota United States 1868 Phoenix Arizona United States 1870 Wichita Kansas United States 1871 Birmingham Alabama United States 1872 Anniston Alabama United States 1874 Pasadena California United States 1875 Orlando Florida United States 1875 Calgary Alberta Canada Grew from Fort Calgary 1882 Regina Saskatchewan Canada 1883 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada 1886 Vancouver British Columbia Canada Named after English explorer George Vancouver 1886 Nelson British Columbia Canada 1887 Gulfport Mississippi United States [21] 1889 Oklahoma City Oklahoma United States 1893 Kamloops British Columbia Canada From the Shuswap language "Tk'emlups" meaning meeting of the waters. 1896 Miami Florida United States 1905 Cranbrook British Columbia Canada 1905 Las Vegas Nevada United States 1911 The Pas Manitoba Canada Grew from Fort Paskoyac 1915 Prince George British Columbia Canada Grew from Fort George See also
- European colonization of the Americas
- List of American cities by year of foundation
- List of French possessions and colonies
- Former colonies and territories in Canada
- Timeline of the colonization of North America
References
- ^ Merriam-Webster's collegiate encyclopedia, Acapulco (de Juárez), p. 7
- ^ Merriam-Webster's collegiate encyclopedia, Saltillo, p. 1418
- ^ "St John's – The Canadian Encyclopedia". http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0007085. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
- ^ "History of Harbour Grace". http://www.hrgrace.ca/history.html. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
- ^ Lane, Ralph. "The Account by Ralph Lane. An account of the particularities of the imployments of the English men left in Virginia by Richard Greenevill under the charge of Master Ralph Lane Generall of the same, from the 17. of August 1585. until the 18. of June 1586. at which time they departed the Countrey; sent and directed to Sir Walter Ralegh.". Old South Leaflets (General Series) ; No. 119. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/lane/lane.html. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ^ http://www.oldberwick.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=375:the-first-permanent-settlement-in-maine-c-1926-everett-s-stackpole&catid=77:histories-a-articles&Itemid=126
- ^ 1633-Windsor, The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut
- ^ http://www.kittery.org/Pages/KitteryME_CompPLan/chapter1
- ^ Nacogdoches, Texas History, City of Nacogdoches
- ^ New Smyrna Beach, FL – Official Website – History, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
- ^ The Naval Department of San Blas, The California State Military Museum
- ^ Merriam-Webster's geographical dictionary, p. 1219
- ^ Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Community Profiles for North Pacific Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
- ^ Jonesborough, Tennessee
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kenai
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kodiak
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Old Sitka
- ^ Template:Http://www.printersrowbooks.com/Old-Post-Bags-The-Story-of-The-Sending-of-a-Letter-in-Ancient-and-Modern-Times.aspx
- ^ "Prince George". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/21226.html.
- ^ Fort Astoria, Oregon, Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
- ^ "Kamloops". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/2006.html.
- ^ "Alexandria". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/754.html.
- ^ An Overview of Vancouver's History, City of Vancouver
- ^ "La Crosse". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/326273/La-Crosse. Retrieved 04/14/2011.
- ^ Brief History of Seattle, City of Seattle
- Bibliography
- Gary S. Breschini, Ph.D. "The Founding of Monterey", The Monterey County Historical Society, 1996. Accessed June 15, 2007.
- Kent Seavey. "A Short History of Salinas, California", The Monterey County Historical Society, 2006. Accessed June 15, 2007.
Categories:- Timelines of North American history
- Historical geography
- Lists of cities in the Americas
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