What is the oldest permanent settlement in the US?
Asked by: Earline Cummerata | Last update: February 9, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (49 votes)
The oldest permanent European settlement in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Spanish in 1565, predating Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620) by decades. It remains the nation's first enduring settlement and oldest continuously occupied city with European and African-American origins.
What is the oldest permanent settlement in the United States?
Forty-two years before the English colonized Jamestown and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Spanish established at St. Augustine this nation's first enduring settlement.
What was the first permanent settlement in the United States?
In 1607, 104 English men and boys arrived in North America to start a settlement. On May 13 they picked Jamestown, Virginia for their settlement, which was named after their King, James I. The settlement became the first permanent English settlement in North America.
What is the oldest town in the United States?
The oldest continuously inhabited European-founded settlement in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida, established by the Spanish in 1565, making it the "Nation's Oldest City" long before the U.S. was founded, with older European settlements existing in Puerto Rico like San Juan.
Is Jamestown older than Santa Fe?
The oldest continuously occupied European capital in North America is Sante Fe, New Mexico - not Jamestown. In 1598, Spanish explorers settled in the Tewa town of Ohkay Owingeh, renaming it San Juan de los Caballeros. The Spanish established the first capital of New Mexico nine years before Jamestown.
Oldest Human Settlement In America Just Discovered In Oregon Pushes Back The Timeline!
What are the five oldest cities in the United States?
The 5 oldest continuously inhabited cities in the U.S. are St. Augustine, Florida (1565), followed by Jamestown, Virginia (1607) (though largely a historic site now), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1610), Hampton, Virginia (1610), and Albany, New York (1614), with Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620) often rounding out the top five or six, highlighting early Spanish, English, and Dutch colonial settlements.
Which is older, Plymouth or Jamestown?
Traveling aboard the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, 104 men landed in Virginia in 1607 at a place they named Jamestown. This was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Thirteen years later, 102 settlers aboard the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts at a place they named Plymouth.
What is the oldest known city on Earth?
There isn't one single oldest city, but Damascus (Syria) and Jericho (Palestine) are top contenders for the oldest continuously inhabited city, with evidence of settlement around 9000-10,000 BCE, while Byblos (Lebanon) also boasts origins from similar periods. Jericho has the earliest archaeological evidence of permanent structures like walls, while Damascus is often cited as the oldest functioning city due to its long history as a significant cultural and trade hub, notes The White River Valley Herald.
What is the oldest alley in the United States?
Elfreth's Alley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the United States. Located in Old City, Philadelphia, Elfreth's Alley dates back to 1703 and is an exceptional collection of early American structures built between 1720 and 1836.
What is the oldest state in the United States?
The oldest state in the U.S. is Delaware, known as "The First State" because it was the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, making it the first state admitted to the Union. Following Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey quickly ratified, becoming the second and third states.
Who were the very first people in America?
In the 1970s, college students in archaeology such as myself learned that the first human beings to arrive in North America had come over a land bridge from Asia and Siberia approximately 13,000 to 13,500 years ago. These people, the first North Americans, were known collectively as Clovis people.
Was Jamestown or Roanoke first?
Yes, the Roanoke Colony (late 1580s) came before Jamestown (1607) as England's first attempts at North American settlement, but Roanoke failed, earning it the name "Lost Colony," while Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement. Colonists at Jamestown even searched for clues about Roanoke's disappearance, which happened about 20 years earlier.
What is the oldest white settlement in the United States?
Established in 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-founded settlement in the continental United States. Its long history is evident in its historic architecture, cobblestone roads, and old landmarks.
What is the oldest house still standing in the USA?
The oldest standing house in the U.S. depends on definition, but it's either the De Vargas Street House (Adobe, Santa Fe, possibly pre-1610) or the Fairbanks House (Timber-frame, Dedham, MA, c. 1641), with older Pueblo structures like those at Taos Pueblo (c. 1000-1450 AD) being the oldest dwellings overall, though often considered communal structures rather than single homes. The Fairbanks House is the oldest verified timber-frame house, while the De Vargas House is considered the oldest house in the U.S. by many historians due to its age and single-family dwelling status.
Were humans in North America 130,000 years ago?
Yes, there is controversial evidence, particularly from the Cerutti Mastodon site in California, suggesting humans were in North America 130,000 years ago, breaking mastodon bones with stones to access marrow and make tools, significantly predating the widely accepted Clovis culture timeline (around 13,000 years ago). While some scientists find the evidence compelling, others argue that natural geological processes could have created the patterns, leading to ongoing debate about the site's interpretation.
Is Charleston older than New Orleans?
The oldest US city founded by settlers is St. Augustine, Florida. In the 1600s, Newport, Rhode Island, and Charleston, South Carolina, were founded. Meanwhile, Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Savannah, Georgia, were settled in the 1700s.
What is the oldest still existing city in the United States?
The oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States is St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Spanish in 1565, predating English settlements like Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620). Known as the "Nation's Oldest City," it offers a rich blend of Spanish, Native American, and American history, evident in its architecture, narrow streets, and historic sites like Castillo de San Marcos.
What is the oldest road in America?
It is the oldest stone bridge still in use in the U.S., and it supports the oldest road in America—the King's Highway.
What is the most historic city in the United States?
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ce of American democracy, it's hard to compete with the city's deep-seated significance in US history or its sheer concentration of noteworthy sights.
What is the oldest civilization in the world that still exists?
Chinese civilization, with its origins around 2070 BCE under the Xia dynasty, is one of the world's oldest continuous cultures. Over millennia, it has seen the rise and fall of numerous dynasties, each contributing to its rich history, philosophy, and innovation.
What is the longest city in the world?
The 10 Longest Cities in the World — and What a City's Length Reveals About Its Urban Health
- Sochi, Russia — 130 km.
- Tokyo, Japan — 120.4 km.
- Cape Town, South Africa — 109.4 km.
- Dongguan, China — 96.5 km.
- Los Angeles, California — 86 km.
- The Growth Drivers. ...
- Conclusion: What City Length Really Means.
What was the first town in the United States?
St. Augustine, Florida, is generally regarded as the oldest city in the U.S.A. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the country. St. Augustine was founded by a Spanish admiral named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565, and it was the capital of Spanish Florida for more than 200 years.
Did Plymouth Plantation have slaves?
By the time of Trayes' trial, slavery had been established in Plymouth Colony for over ten years. The estate of Thomas Willett of Scituate, who died in 1674, listed eight slaves. Slavery was practiced intermittently in the Plymouth area after the 1670s.
Why is 1620 on Plymouth Rock?
Nearly four centuries after the arrival of the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock is viewed by more than one million visitors each year. It's All About That Rock (ongoing Memorial Day through Labor Day and throughout the day) – World-famous Plymouth Rock is said to be the site of the Pilgrims' landing in 1620.