Definitions for 'oldest town' are based on the year of first permanent settlement and official establishment. Some towns trace origins to the 1500s while others began in the 1800s. Many towns carry names derived from the Native American tribes that first inhabited the area. Numerous settlements were already occupied by Native American communities for thousands of years before colonial founding dates. Colonizing settlers frequently expelled or destroyed those communities and claimed the land. Photographers, historians, and advocates, including Matika Wilbur, work to preserve and amplify Native histories. The oldest established town in each state is identified accordingly.
Some think of the United States as a young nation, but many of its towns have histories that stretch back centuries. From Native American communities to early colonial settlers, many of the towns in today's maps have been occupied for hundreds of years. But America's history is complicated, and uncountable towns with rich histories fell out of the history books once they became inhabited.
To determine the oldest town in every state for this list, we defined it on the founding of a place by the year of its first permanent settlement, when people arrived and formally established a place. The unfortunate reality is that many towns in the US were already home to Native American communities - dating back thousands of years - by the time they were "founded."
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