From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of cities in the Americas (South, Central and North) by founding year and present-day country.
Year
City
State, province, dept., etc
Country
Notes
700 BC
Ticul
Yucatán
Mexico
500 BC
Cholula
Puebla
Mexico
300 BC
Teotihuacan
México
Mexico
In the Valley of Mexico , North America's largest Pre-Columbian city. [1]
200
Mitla
Oaxaca
Mexico
524
Ejutla
Oaxaca
Mexico
[2]
500
Cuenca
Azuay
Ecuador
650
Cahokia
Illinois
United States
1000
Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo
New Mexico
United States
1050
Motul
Yucatán
Mexico
1100
Oraibi
Arizona
United States (Hopi Reservation )
[3]
1325
Tenochtitlan
Distrito Federal
Mexico
Later called Mexico City
1450
Zuni Pueblo
New Mexico
United States
[4]
1498
Santo Domingo
Distrito Nacional
Dominican Republic
Capital of the Dominican Republic. Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the Americas.
1510
Nombre de Dios
Colon
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.
1519
Panama City
Panama
First European city on the Pacific coast of the Americas
1521
San Juan
Puerto Rico
United States
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Puerto Rico, and in the United States.
1524
Granada
Granada
Nicaragua
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Nicaragua.
1525
Acapulco
Guerrero
Mexico
[5]
1530
San Blas
Nayarit
Mexico
By Nuño Beltrán [6]
1531
Puebla
Puebla
Mexico
by Fr. Toribio de Benavente ("Motolinía") on 16 April [7]
1532
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Mexico
1532
São Vicente
São Paulo
Brazil
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Brazil, oldest Portuguese established settlement in the New World.
1532
Tepic
Nayarit
Mexico
As capital of Nueva Galicia [8]
1533
Cartagena de Indias
Bolívar
Colombia
1534
Otavalo
Imbabura
Ecuador
1534
Quito
Pichincha
Ecuador
1534
Trujillo
La Libertad
Peru
1535
Lima
Lima
Peru
1535
Olinda
Pernambuco
Brazil
One of the best-preserved colonial cities in Brazil.
1535
Igarassu
Pernambuco
Brazil
1535
Vila Velha
Espírito Santo
Brazil
1536
San Pedro Sula
Cortés
Honduras
1537
Recife
Pernambuco
Brazil
[9]
1538
Bogotá
Cundinamarca
Colombia
1538
Guayaquil
Guayas
Ecuador
1538
Iguape
São Paulo
Brazil
1538
Sucre
Chuquisaca
Bolivia
1540
Arequipa
Arequipa
Peru
1540
Ayacucho
Arequipa
Peru
1540
Campeche
Campeche
Mexico
1541
St. John's
Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Canada, oldest English established settlement in the Americas
1542
Guadalajara
Jalisco
Mexico
1546
Potosí
Potosí
Bolivia
1548
La Paz
La Paz
Bolivia
1549
Salvador
Bahia
Brazil
1551
Vitória
Espírito Santo
Brazil
1553
São Bernardo do Campo
São Paulo
Brazil
1554
Embu
São Paulo
Brazil
1554
São Paulo
São Paulo
Brazil
1558
Mérida
Merida
Venezuela
1560
Goiana
Pernambuco
Brazil
1560
Ipojuca
Pernambuco
Brazil
1560
Mendoza
Mendoza
Argentina
1562
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan
Argentina
1565
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
1565
Saint Augustine
Florida
United States
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the continental United States. Preceded by Puerto Rican colonies, Pensacola, Florida , which was destroyed in 1559, and Fort Caroline , destroyed in 1565.
1565
Tucumán
Tucumán
Argentina
1571
Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Bolivia
1573
Córdoba
Córdoba
Argentina
1573
Santa Fé
Santa Fé
Argentina
1574
Huaraz
Ancash
Peru
1580
Buenos Aires
Argentina
1582
Salta
Salta
Argentina
1585
João Pessoa
Paraíba
Brazil
1590
São Cristóvão
Sergipe
Brazil
First capital of Sergipe. Formerly known as Sergipe d'El Rei
1591
Paudalho
Pernambuco
Brazil
1593
San Salvador de Jujuy
Jujuy
Argentina
1594
San Luis, Argentina
San Luis
Argentina
1596
Monterrey
Nuevo León
Mexico
1597
Portobelo
Colón
Panama
1598
Parras
Coahuila
Mexico
1599
Natal
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil
1599
Tadoussac
Quebec
Canada
Oldest continuously inhabited French established settlement in the Americas, oldest European established settlement in Quebec.
1604
Port Royal
Nova Scotia
Canada
1606
[[Ibarra (Imbabura)|Ibarra]
Imbabura
Ecuador
1607
Jamestown
Virginia
United States
1608
Quebec City
Quebec
Canada
1610
Kecoughtan
Virginia
United States
1610
Santa Fe
New Mexico
United States
Oldest continuously inhabited state capitol in the US. [[10] ]
1610
Harbour Grace
Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada
1611
Marechal Deodoro
Alagoas
Brazil
1612
São Luís
Maranhão
Brazil
Capital of Maranhão.
1612
St. George's
Bermuda
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Bermuda.
1613
Penedo
Alagoas
Brazil
1614
Sirinhaém
Pernambuco
Brazil
1615
Cabo Frio
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
1615
Posadas
Misiones
Argentina
1616
Belém
Pará
Brazil
Capital of Pará.
1620
Plymouth
Massachusetts
United States
1623
Portsmouth
New Hampshire
United States
1623
New Castle
New Hampshire
United States
1623
Rye
New Hampshire
United States
[11]
1623
Gloucester
Massachusetts
United States
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
1630
Boston
Massachusetts
United States
1631
Saint John
New Brunswick
Canada
1632
Williamsburg
Virginia
United States
1632
St. John's
Antigua and Barbuda
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
1637
Hartford
Connecticut
United States
[12]
1638
Hampton
New Hampshire
United States
1638
New Haven
Connecticut
United States
[13]
1638
Wilmington
Delaware
United States
Grew from Fort Christina , part of the New Sweden colony.
1638
Cambridge
Massachusetts
United States
1639 (prior to)
St. Marks
Florida
United States
[14]
1639
Bridgeport
Connecticut
United States
1639
Newport
Rhode Island
United States
1642
Montreal
Quebec
Canada
1642
Lexington
Massachusetts
United States
[15]
1643
Basse-Terre
Guadeloupe
Territorial capital.
1646
New London
Connecticut
United States
1648
Paranaguá
Paraná
Brazil
1649
Annapolis
Maryland
United States
1659
Ciudad Juárez
Mexico
1659
Jamestown
Saint Helena
1660
Placentia
Newfoundland
Canada
French Capital unil 1713, originally called Plaisance
1660
Rye
New York
United States
1664
Albany
New York
United States
1665
Port-de-Paix
Nord-Ouest Department
Haiti
1666
Newark
New Jersey
United States
1667
Paraty
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
1668
Sault Ste. Marie
Michigan
United States
[16] , oldest city in Michigan.
1670
Charleston
South Carolina
United States
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
Escada
Pernambuco
Brazil
1687
New Britain
Connecticut
United States
1693
Bom Jesus da Lapa
Bahia
Brazil
1693
Cachoeira
Bahia
Brazil
1693
Curitiba
Paraná
Brazil
1693
Kingston
Jamaica
1696
Rimouski
Quebec
Canada
1698
[[Ambato]
Tungurahua
Ecuador
1698
Pensacola
Florida
United States
1699
Biloxi
Mississippi
United States
1699
Baton Rouge
Louisiana
United States
1701
Detroit
Michigan
United States
1701
São João del Rei
Minas Gerais
Brazil
1702
Mobile
Alabama
United States
1706
Albuquerque
New Mexico
United States
1709
Chihuahua
Mexico
1710
Chatham
New Jersey
United States
On land purchased in 1680.
1711
Ouro Preto
Minas Gerais
Brazil
1714
Natchitoches
Louisiana
United States
Oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase
1714
Antonia
Paraná
Brazil
1714
Laguna
Santa Catarina
Brazil
1714
Serro
Minas Gerais
Brazil
1715 (prior to)
Kekionga
Indiana
United States
Capital of the Miami tribe .
1716
Natchez
Mississippi
United States
Dates to the founding of Fort Rosalie by the French.[17]
1718
New Orleans
Louisiana
United States
1718
San Antonio
Texas
United States
1718
Tiradentes
Minas Gerais
Brazil
1719
Trenton
New Jersey
United States
1725
Concord
New Hampshire
United States
1726
Florianópolis
Santa Catarina
Brazil
1727
Cuiabá
Mato Grosso
Brazil
1727
Goiás
Goiás
Brazil
1727
Pirenópolis
Goiás
Brazil
1728
Fredericksburg
Virginia
United States
1729
Baltimore
Maryland
United States
1733
Morretes
Paraná
Brazil
1733
Richmond
Virginia
United States
[18]
1733
Savannah
Georgia
United States
1737
Rio Grande
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil
1738
Fort Rouge
Manitoba
Canada
Now Winnipeg, Manitoba .
1741
Viamão
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil
1749
Alexandria
Virginia
United States
1749
Port-au-Prince
Ouest Department
Haiti
1749
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Canada
1749
Windsor
Ontario
Canada
Oldest continually-inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal
1754
Augusta
Maine
United States
1755
Charlotte
North Carolina
United States
1758
Pelotas
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil
1758
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
United States
1758
Macapá
Amapá
Brazil
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
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 [19]
1770
Araxá
Minas Gerais
Brazil
1772
Porto Alegre
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil
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
Corumbá
Mato Grosso do Sul
Brazil
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 . [20]
1779
Nashville
Tennessee
United States
Grew from Fort Nashborough
1781
Montpelier
Vermont
United States
1781
Los Angeles
California
United States
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
Tallahassee
Florida
United States
1786
Frankfort
Kentucky
United States
1786
Portland
Maine
United States
1788
Cincinnati
Ohio
United States
1788
Charleston
West Virginia
United States
Grew from Fort Lee. [21]
1789
Buffalo
New York
United States
1790
Washington
District of Columbia
United States
1791
Jacksonville
Florida
United States
Known as "Cowford".
1791
Knoxville
Tennessee
United States
1791
Bangor
Maine
United States
1792
Raleigh
North Carolina
United States
1793
Toronto
Ontario
Canada
1794
Fort Wayne
Indiana
United States
1795
Edmonton
Alberta
Canada
Grew from Fort Edmonton .
1795
Erie
Pennsylvania
United States
Grew from the French Fort Presque Isle .
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 .
1800
Hull
Quebec
Canada
Formerly known as Wrightville .
1803
Chicago
Illinois
United States
Grew from Fort Dearborn .
1805
Huntsville
Alabama
United States
1810
Manchester
New Hampshire
United States
1812
Columbus
Ohio
United States
1815
Hamilton
Ontario
Canada
1816
Chattanooga
Tennessee
United States
Originally named Ross's Landing .
1816
Saginaw
Michigan
United States
1817
Fort Smith
Arkansas
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
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 .
1825
Vicksburg
Mississippi
United States
1825
Grand Rapids
Michigan
United States
1826
London
Ontario
Canada
1827
St. Andrews
Florida
United States
Now part of Panama City
1828
Key West
Florida
United States
1833
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
United States
1836
Shreveport
Louisiana
United States
1836
Madison
Wisconsin
United States
1837
Lansing
Michigan
United States
1837
Houston
Texas
United States
1841
Dallas
Texas
United States
1843
Atlanta
Georgia
United States
Originally known as Marthasville, Georgia.
1843
Victoria
British Columbia
Canada
1847
Salt Lake City
Utah
United States
Originally known as Great Salt Lake City.
1848
Sacramento
California
United States
1850
Bytown
Ontario
Canada
Now Ottawa , Ontario .
1856
O'Fallon
Missouri
United States
1858
Denver
Colorado
United States
1864
Salinas
California
United States .
[22]
1867
Minneapolis
Minnesota
United States
1868
Phoenix
Arizona
United States
1871
Birmingham
Alabama
United States
1872
Anniston
Alabama
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
1886
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada
1887
Gulfport
Mississippi
United States
[23]
1896
Miami
Florida
United States
1911
Las Vegas
Nevada
United States
See also
References