10 Oldest Continually-Inhabited Towns In America (PHOTOS)

As we do every Thanksgiving, Americans celebrate our young country that has such a rich history. Over the past 234 years, our cities have swelled and shrank to varying degrees.

It's always fun to think of the places that hold such an important place in American history that might get overlooked today.

With that in mind, here are the 10 oldest, continually-inhabited cities in America.

 

Have a favorite old American town? Send us your picks!

Find a picture, click the participate button, add a title and upload your picture

1 of 10

Acoma (now Sky City), New Mexico

1 of 11

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Inhabited since 1150

Great Fast-Food Chains From Around The World (PHOTOS)

Where The Locals Hang Out In Prague

A Stylish Journey Across Austria (PHOTOS)

7 Incredible Outdoor Spas (PHOTOS)

The New Major Players In The Short-Term Peer-To-Peer Property Rental Game

London Dining: Steak Near Covent Garden And Lesser Calamint Near Goodge Street

Inhabited since 1150

comments(83)

Total comments: 83 | Post a Comment

1 of 11

Town

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Ok Stunning!

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Current Top 5 Slides

loading...

Choose your Top 5 Slides

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[jasev01]

02:40 PM on 11/29/2010

all these years and Jersey is still terrible

[Alan Musick]

09:18 PM on 11/28/2010

I'm surprised that New England writers always mention Plymouth Rock as the first settlement in the New World when it was not. The following is an excerpt from historyisfun.org/history-jamestown.htm: "The founding of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English colony, in Virginia in 1607 – 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in Massachusetts – sparked a series of cultural encounters that helped shape the nation and the world. The government, language, customs, beliefs and aspirations of these early Virginians are all part of the United States’ heritage today."

[stu132u]

05:17 PM on 11/28/2010

Old San Juan Puerto Rico is NOT in America!! Puerto Rico is not even in the United States!! Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean!! Get it right! Puerto Rico does not want to be part of the United States & the United States DOES NOT WANT Puerto Rico!! You bring nothing to the table that would be considered an asset. Yes, I know that Puerto Ricans have been in the United States Military BUT the People of Puerto Rico have voted multiple times not to become part of the United States. Personally, I think the majority of the People of Puerto Rico are GREAT!! The People of Puerto Rico are very proud people; the People of Puerto Rico are very proud and do not want to "lose their identity" as a independent soveriegn nation of People.

[nasuswy56]

02:41 PM on 11/28/2010

The oldest town in the US is Old San Juan Puerto Rico.

[foxisenior]

02:12 PM on 11/28/2010

First of all I would like to respond to the comments about America. We live in the Continent of North America which also has Canada and Mexico. Then there is the Continent of South America which has several Countries within such as Brazil, Peru, etc. Our country in the United States of America, OK? Now as to the oldest Town, my hometown might not be THE oldest but the church was built in 1642 and it was occupied long before that by a wealthy land baron by the name of Phillips. The church was called the Old Dutch Church and sitll exists. There is an operating Grist Mill also working today. It was the home of Washington Irving who wrote the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". The town of Sleepy Hollow is located about 28 miles north of mid town Manhattan.

[foxisenior]

01:56 PM on 11/28/2010

Well, all I can say is that the Old Dutch church in which my son was married in Sleepy Hollow, New York(formerly North Tarrytown which was formerly Beekman Town) was built in 1462, but the town flourished long before that. It was owned by a very wealthy Dutchman by the name of Phillips who owned all the land all the way to New York City. The town had a Grist Mill which is still in existence and is still operating! Sleepy Hollow is located about 28 miles north of Mid town Manhatan. It was the home of the Internationally know author Washington Irving who wrote the "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkly" Its a fun place to visit, especially on Holloween when you might spot the "Headless Horseman" riding across the bridge!

[Freesia2]

05:07 PM on 11/28/2010

Oh! That sounds wonderful. What a perfect place to visit for Halloween.

[rhymney]

06:27 PM on 11/28/2010

Was the church built by American Indians? 1462 is 30 years before Columbus set sail.

[gd3]

12:14 AM on 11/28/2010

Taos, NM though not as old as Taos Pueblo. I believe Jemez Pueblo has been around longer than other cities listed. Santa Fe is older than listed. Pueblos have been on that site before the Spanish. Laguna is ancient and a tribe, the Havasupai I believe has been living in the same area of the Grand Canyon forever. The Puebloes were NOT clans. They were city states composed of a tribe which was composed of clans, though some tribes inhabited several towns, most notably the Hopi.

[ma11smom]

04:07 PM on 11/28/2010

From the Taos Pueblo website: Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years.

[Jay of Wareham]

09:01 PM on 11/27/2010

I believe that Quincy was founded, originally Merrymount, by some very non-observant Pilgrims from Plymouth, there the first public execution has hel by hanging the ringleader.

[rhymney]

10:56 AM on 11/29/2010

If you are referring to Thomas Morton, he wasn't hanged.

[Go2Renz]

06:49 PM on 11/27/2010

Quincy,MA. (quin-ZEE) my home town. Home of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Thomas Morton and his Maypole... woo wooo!

[Go2Renz]

07:03 PM on 11/27/2010

lets not forget the late-great actress Ruth Gordon!!!

[4Heavenssake]

05:12 PM on 11/27/2010

What about Natick, MA? Ya know, where the Native Americans and the Puritans first came together? I believe it's 365 or 366 years old (by English charter) this year.

[rhymney]

11:47 PM on 11/24/2010

How does New York, Salem and Quincy beat out Plymouth which was founded in 1620 with the landing of the Mayflower?

[mrsfeild]

11:13 AM on 11/28/2010

thank you

[Freesia2]

05:10 PM on 11/28/2010

Well since the Republicans have told us now that the Pilgrims came here not to flee religious persecution (note to self: write all my old teachers and tell them I'm suing) and instead was to flee socialism (eye roll) Plymouth and the Mayflower just don't have that same allure. ;-)

[Marc NL]

08:49 PM on 11/24/2010

New York formerly known as New Amsterdam, if wasn't for those damn Brits I would have probably not have needed to learn English since I moved to The U.S (I am Dutch)

Btw, the word Yankee comes from two very common Dutch Names! :D (Jan and kees.)

[mav4499237]

10:28 AM on 11/24/2010

What about Tucson....I was told it was the oldest, continually inhabited area in North America.

[SagesseBleu]

10:22 AM on 11/24/2010

San Juan, Puerto Rico, settled 1521.

[stu132u]

05:21 PM on 11/28/2010

Again, NOT LOCATED IN America - LOCATED in the Caribbean!! Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but the Caribbean is not considered America - North Central OR South.

[SagesseBleu]

06:31 PM on 11/28/2010

You are wrong. Geographically speaking the Caribbean is considered part of North America.

This is from Wikipedia, although other sources confirm this fact. Puerto Rico is known as the smallest of the Greater Antilles.

"There are numerous islands off the continent’s coasts: principally, the Arctic Archipelago, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Aleutian Islands (some of which are in the eastern hemisphere proper), the Alexander Archipelago, the many thousand islands of the British Columbia Coast, and Newfoundland. Greenland, a self-governing Danish island, and the world's largest, is on the same tectonic plate (the North American Plate) and is part of North America geographically. In a geologic sense, Bermuda is not part of the Americas, but an oceanic island which was formed on the fissure of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 100 million years ago. The nearest landmass to it is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. However, Bermuda is often thought of as part of North America, especially given its historical, political and cultural ties to Virginia and other parts of the continent."

[Aelfgifu]

09:38 AM on 11/24/2010

You should specify that you mean "inhabited by white people."

[imonlyhereforthelaughs]

10:14 AM on 11/24/2010

Native Americans, except a small number of clans in the Southwest, were not known for establishing permanent settlements. They tended to move as needed to support their needs. Note that the oldest on this list is, in fact, a town settled by those very SW Native Americans.

[Aelfgifu]

11:01 AM on 11/24/2010

As others have noted in the comments, there have been continual Native American settlements in the US. This article gave lip service to one of them, and then proceeded to ignore the rest. Don't try to excuse it.

[GraphicMatt]

11:00 AM on 11/24/2010

Did you not see #1 on the list. I don't recall there being white people here in the 1100s.

[Aelfgifu]

12:17 PM on 11/24/2010

Since you missed it the first time, I'll paste it for you:

As others have noted in the comments, there have been continual Native American settlements in the US. This article gave lip service to one of them, and then proceeded to ignore the rest. Don't try to excuse it.