City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.
So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher? Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.
What can you find in these records? How about:
- Full names, including middle names
- Spouse name
- Occupation
- Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
- Maps
- Businesses (and index to advertisers).
- Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, newspapers.
- Whether a woman is a widow (including name of husband).
- List of marriages and deaths of previous year.
- Death date.
- etc.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:
- FamilySearch - United States Directories
- How to Use City Directories In Your Genealogy Research
- What's In A City Directory? (a 10 article series about City Directories)
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:
Statewide
- Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania Physicians' and Dentists' Directory, Young, 1908
- Great Lakes Marine Directory, Polk, 1884
- Pennsylvania Business Directory, Ulman, 1854-5
- Pennsylvania Business Directory, Ulman, 1854-5
- Pennsylvania Business Directory, Ulman, 1854-5
Allegheny City and Pittsburgh
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Blue Book, Brown Haven, 1895
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Business Men's Protective Association, 1878
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1841
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1841
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1841
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1844
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1844
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1844
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1847
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, Harris, 1847
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh Business Directories, U.S. Central Publishing Company, 1875-6
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Diffenbacher, 1878-9
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Diffenbacher, 1879-80
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Diffenbacher, 1895
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Diffenbacher, 1897
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Fahnestock, 1850
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Harris, 1839
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Harris, 1839
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Polk & Dudley, 1900
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1856
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1861-2
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1861-2
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1861-2
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1862-3
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1863-4
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1864-5
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1864-5
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1865-6
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1865-6
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1866-7
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1867-8
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1868-9
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Thurston, 1869-70
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1898
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1899
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1901
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1902
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1903
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1905
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1907
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, unknown, 1908
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Woodward & Rowlins, 1852
- Allegheny City and Pittsburgh City Directories, Woodward & Rowlins, 1852
- Allegheny City, Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County Business Directories, Polk & Dudley, 1900
- Clark's Altoona directory
- R.L. Polk & Co.'s Altoona and Hollidaysburg directory
- Renner's Altoona and P.R.R. directory
- Beaver and Lawrence Counties Farm Directory, Orange Judd, 1917
- Beaver County Business Directory, Watson, 1898
- Beaver County Business Directory, Watson, 1898
- Butler County Farm Directory, Orange County, 1916
- Butler County, American Agriculturist Farm Directory, 1916
- Rural Directory, Butler County - 1939/40
- Directory of Columbia and Montour Counties Pa : with map : 1901
- Directory of Columbia and Montour Counties Pa. with map : 1901
- Greene County Farm Directory, Orange Judd, 1916
- Greene County, American Agriculturalist Farm Directory, 1916
- Greensburg City and Telephone Directory, Polk, 1968
- Greensburg City and Telephone Directory, Polk, 1968
- Greensburg City and Westmoreland County Directories, Wiggins, 1890
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1883
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1886/87
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1888
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1889
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1892
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1893
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1894
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1895
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1896
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1898
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1899
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1902
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1903
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1904
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1905
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1907
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1908
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1917
- Polk's Greater Harrisburg City Directory, 1922
- Homestead Borough Directory, Homestead Directory Company, 1900
- Homestead Borough Directory, Homestead Directory Company, 1900
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1906-7
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1908-9
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1910-1
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1910-1
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1912
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1914
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1916
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1918-9
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1921-2
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1925
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1927
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1929-30
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1931-2
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1937-8
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1939-40
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1941
- Homestead Borough Directory, Polk, 1945
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley & Johns, 1898
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley & Johns, 1898
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1890
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1890
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1891
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1891
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1892
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1892
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1894
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1894
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1896
- Homestead Borough Directory, Schooley, 1896
- Homestead, Munhall, and West Homestead Borough Directories, Homestead Directory Company, 1902
- Homestead, Munhall, and West Homestead Borough Directories, Homestead Directory Company, 1902
- Lancaster Directory for 1843
- A.C. Leonard's Directory of business and professional men of Lancaster, PA., 1883
- Bard's and Co's Business and Professional Directory of Lancaster County, 1897
- Barnes' Annual Lancaster City Directory, 1886
- Barnes' Directory of Lancaster County, 1875-76
- Boyd's Business Directory and Gazetteer, 1883
- Boyd's Directory of Lancaster, Columbia, Chester and West Chester, 1874-75
- Business and Professional Men of Lancaster, Pa., 1879-80
- Directory of Columbia Borough, 1878
- Directory of Lancaster City, 1871
- Directory of Lancaster City, 1873-74
- Directory of Lancaster City, 1877-78
- Directory of Lancaster City, 1879-80
- Directory of Lancaster County, 1869-70
- Directory of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1899-1900
- Directory of the borough of Columbia, 1892
- Directory of the City of Lancaster, 1868-69
- Ferris Bros.' Lancaster City and County Directory, 1884
- Ferris Bros.' Lancaster City and County Directory, 1886
- Gopsill's Directory of Lancaster Harrisburg, Lebanon and York, 1863-64
- Howe's Lancaster City and County Directory, 1882-83
- J.H. Bryson's Lancaster Directory, 1843
- Lancaster City and County Directory, 1898
- Lancaster City Directory, 1857
- Lancaster City Directory, 1897
- Lancaster County Business Directory, Boyd, 1859-60
- Lancaster County Business Directory, Boyd, 1859-60
- Lant's Directory of Lancaster City, 1866-67
- Williams' Annual Lancaster City Directory, 1898
- Williams' Lancaster City and County Directory, 186
- Williams' Lancaster City and County Directory, 1890
- Williams' Lancaster City and County Directory, 1892
- Williams' Lancaster City Directory, 1892
- Williams' Lancaster City Directory, 1894-95
- Young's Directory of Columbia, 1874
- Gopsill's Directory of Lancaster, Harrisburg, Lebanon and York, 1863-1864
- The Farmer's Directory of Lancaster County, 1914
- Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Alumni Catalogue, 1851-1910
- Directory of Lewisburg, West Lewisburg and four rural routes - 1911
- Lewisburg and West Lewisburg Directory, Housel, 1911
- Farrell and Sharon City and Sharpsville and Wheatland Borough Directories, Tribune Publishing Company, 1919
- Farrell and Sharon City and Sharpsville and Wheatland Borough Directories, Tribune Publishing Company, 1919
- Monongahela and Youghiogheny Valleys Directories, Thurston, 1859
- Monongahela and Youghiogheny Valleys Directory, Thurston, 1859
- Directory of the boroughs of Norristown and Bridgeport, Montgomery County, Pa. for the years 1860-61
- New Castle Directory, 1872-1873
- New Castle Directory, 1875-1876
- New Castle Directory, 1876
- New Castle Directory, 1879-1880
- New Castle Directory, 1886-1887
- New Castle Directory, 1888-1889
- New Castle Directory, 1889-1890
- New Castle Directory, 1891-1892
- New Castle Directory, 1893-1894
- New Castle Directory, 1895-1896
- New Castle Directory, 1897-1898
- New Castle Directory, 1899
- New Castle Directory, 1900-1901
- New Castle Directory, 1902
- New Castle Directory, 1903
- New Castle Directory, 1904
- New Castle Directory, 1905-1906
- New Castle Directory, 1906
- New Castle Directory, 1906-1907
- New Castle Directory, 1907-1908
- New Castle Directory, 1908-1909
- New Castle Directory, 1909-1910
- New Castle Directory, 1911
- New Castle Directory, 1913
- New Castle Directory, 1914
- New Castle Directory, 1914-1915
- New Castle Directory, 1915
- New Castle Directory, 1916
- New Castle Directory, 1917
- New Castle Directory, 1918
- New Castle Directory, 1921
- New Castle Directory, 1922-1923
- New Castle Directory, 1924-1925
- New Castle Directory, 1926-1927
- New Castle Directory, 1928
- Boyd's Philadelphia city business Directory - 1860-1861
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1800
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1837
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1840
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1852
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1853
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1887
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1893
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1894
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1895
- Boyd's Philadelphia Combined City and Business Directory, 1900
- Bywater's Philadelphia business Directory and city guide, for the year ... - 1850
- Desilver's Philadelphia Directory, and strangers' guide - 1831
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1837
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1839
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1840
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1841
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1842
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1843
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1844
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1845
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1846
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1847
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1848
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1849
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1850
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1851
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1852
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1853
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1854
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1855
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1856
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1857
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1858
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1859
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1860
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1861
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1862
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1863
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1864
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1865
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1866
- McElroy's Philadelphia City Directory, 1867
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1856
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1857
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1858
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1861
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1861
- Philadelphia City Directory, McElroy, 1866
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1803
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1806
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1807
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1816
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1850
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1856
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1857
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1859
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1860
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1861
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1862
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1863
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1864
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1865
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1866
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1868
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1869
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1870
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1871
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1872
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1873
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1874
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1875
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1876
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1877
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1878
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1880
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1881
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1883
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1888
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1895
- Philadelphia City Directory, 1899
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1785
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1791
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1793
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1794
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1795
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1796
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1797
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1798
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1799
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1800
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1801
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1802
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1803
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1804
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1805
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1806
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1807
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1808
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1809
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1810
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1811
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1813
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1814
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1816
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1817
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1818
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1819
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1820
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1821
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1822
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1823
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1824
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1825
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1828
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1829
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1830
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1831
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1833
- The Philadelphia Directory, 1835-36
- University of Pennsylvania, General Alumni Catalogue, 1922
- Alumni Directory, University of Pittsburgh, 1916
- Fahnestock's Pittsburgh Directory - 1850
- Harris' Pittsburgh and Allegheny Directory, with the environs, etc. - 1839
- Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Business Directories, Woods, 1867
- Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Business Directories, Woods, 1867
- Pittsburgh Business Directory, Harris, 1837
- Pittsburgh Business Directory, Harris, 1837
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh Central High School Alumni Directory, PCHS Alumni Association, 1859 - 1905
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Diffenbacher, 1885
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Diffenbacher, 1890
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Jones, 1826
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Jones, 1826
- PIttsburgh City Directory, Jones, 1826
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Polk, 1918
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Polk, 1922
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Polk, 1930
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle and Murray, 1819
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle, 1815
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle, 1815
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle, 1815
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle, 1815
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Riddle, 1815
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Thurston, 1857-8
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Thurston, 1857-8
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Thurston, 1858-9
- Pittsburgh City Directory, Thurston, 1859-60
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1872
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1877
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1884
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1910
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1912
- Pittsburgh City Directory, unknown, 1914
- Pittsburgh Negro Directory, Adams Agency, 1962
- Pittsburgh Philanthropic Agencies Directory, Kingsley House Association, 1908
- Pittsburgh Telephone Directory, Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, 1936
- Pittsburgh Telephone Directory, Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, 1946
- Pittsburgh Telephone Directory, Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, 1951
- Pittsburgh, Blue Book Directory, 1920
- Polk's Pittsburgh city directory - 1922
- Western Address Business Directory, Robinson, 1837
- Western Address Business Directory, Robinson, 1837
- Western Address Business Directory, Robinson, 1837
- Boyd's Directory of Reading, Easton, Pottsville, Allentown, & Lebanon
- Boyd's Reading (Berks County, Pa.) city directory
- Gopsill's Directory of Reading, Allentown, Easton, Pottsville and Bethlehem, 1864-5
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, City Directories - 1875
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, City Directories - 1886
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, City Directories - 1889
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, City Directories - 1899
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, City Directories - 1900
- Washington and Jefferson College, General Alumni Catalogue, 1918
- Washington, City Directory, 1907-08
- Washington County Farm Directory, Orange Judd, 1915
- Washington County, American Agriculturist Farm Directory, 1915
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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