Killen, Alabama
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1914 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Killen census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35645. It stands on Brush Creek. The Survey maps it on the Killen quadrangle. 1,034 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 610 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresKillen fell from 1,108 to 1,034 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,108 | |
| 2020 | 1,034 | -74 (-7%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1914 USGS Muscle Shoals quadrangle1:48000
- 1916 USGS Muscle Shoals quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1936 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000
- 1953 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000
- 1956 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1963 USGS Gadsden quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Killen quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1986 USGS Tuscumbia quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
136 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 136 fires within 5 miles of Killen between 1994 and 2020, burning about 500 acres in total. None started naturally. 30 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 66 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 30 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 10 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 9 |
| Smoking | 6 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 September 1997 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1999 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 15 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190915-6 |
| 15 September 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 9.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 12 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1999 | Smoking | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 75 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Killen in 75 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 52 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 6 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Killen | 2 hurt, $30,000 | More than three inches of rain forced Shoal Creek out of its banks. Two men were injured when they drove around barricades and onto flooded CR 8. Their truck was washed off the road and two of the three men jumped into the water and were injured. Most of the flooding was contained to the Shoal Creek area near Goose Shoals. Several people were forced out of their homes due to the rising water. |
| February 1999 | Tornado (F2) | Killen | $145,000 | A tornado occurred around 5:55 pm about 4 miles northeast of Killen in northern Lauderdale County. A mobile home was destroyed, several houses were heavily damaged, numerous trees were downed and uprooted, and several other structures sustained damage. The damage area was along CR 71 in the Antioch area. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F1) | Killen | $30,000 | A tornado touched down just southeast of Killen and tracked eastward to just south of Elgin. Numerous trees were snapped and twisted with a few of the trees falling on structures. |
| February 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $20,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down near Killen. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $15,000 | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $15,000 | no account filed |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $10,000 | Public report of damage to a shed and trees down in Killen. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $10,000 | A few trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds. |
| March 1996 | Hail | Killen | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Killen | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $8,000 | A large tree fell on a house in Killen. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $5,000 | A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds on County Road 31. |
| January 1997 | Hail | Killen | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $4,000 | A tree was reported down on a home along with large branches. Additionally, trees were reported uprooted in the Shoals Acres neighborhood. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $3,000 | Trees were knocked down in Killen, Zip City, and in Green Hill. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Killen | $3,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | Metal roofing was blown off of a home at 417 CR 416 in Killen. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | A tree was knocked down at 380 Robbins Beach Road. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | A tree was knocked down at the intersection of CR 27 and CR 30. Another tree was leaning over the road. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $2,000 | A tree and power line were knocked down at 3450 U.S. Highway 72. Time estimated by radar. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | Several trees were knocked down near the intersection of County Road 25 and Baylee Drive in Killen. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | A tree and power lines were knocked down across the road at the 100 block of County Road 29 in Killen. Time estimated by radar. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | Power lines were blown down in the Killen area. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | Trees were knocked down along J C Mauldin Highway in Killen. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down a tree in the Killen area. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $1,000 | A tree was knocked down completely blocking the roadway on Kensington Lane. Time estimated by radar. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $1,000 | A tree was knocked down onto one lane of traffic at the intersection of U.S. Highway 72 at CR 71. |
| December 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $1,000 | The 911 call center reported a tree across the road blocking both lanes of traffic at 121 Hickory Park road. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $1,000 | Trees were knocked down onto the eastbound lanes of Highway 72 in front of Brooks High School. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $1,000 | Trees were knocked down on the road along North Shore Drive near CR 27. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $1,000 | A tree was blown down at a residence. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $500 | A tree was knocked down at 1000 Fawn Lane. Time estimated by radar. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $500 | A tree was knocked down by thunderstorm winds onto the roadway at 721 CR 29. Time estimated by radar. |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $500 | One tree was knocked down on CR 465. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $500 | A tree was knocked down at Lingerlost Road and Highway 72. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $500 | A tree was knocked down on Lock 6 Road in Killen. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down along Lingerlost Road in Center Star. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down at 505 CR 372 in Killen. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down on CR 259. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down on Brooks Drive. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down along Highway 72 in the Killen area. |
| December 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down at CR 170 and CR 71. Time estimated by radar. |
| December 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down on Koger Street. Time estimated by radar. |
| November 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $200 | Tree limbs were knocked down on CR 63 in Killen. Time estimated by radar. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down at CR 170 off of CR 71. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | $200 | A tree was knocked down across the eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 72 near Brooks High School. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | $100 | A tree limb was knocked down across the road at the intersection of CR 27 and North Shore Drive. Time estimate by radar. |
| July 2025 | Flash Flood | East Killen | - | Water over both westbound lanes at Hickory Park Rd and Hwy 72. Depth of water estimated at 6 inches. |
| March 2021 | Flash Flood | Killen | - | Road impassable due to rushing water at CR63 at Brush Creek. Depth of water unknown. |
| October 2021 | Flash Flood | East Killen | - | Water backing up into the backyards of some homes along Hickory Park Road in Killen. Spillway has also been blocked by debris. Depth of water unknown. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | East Killen | - | A tree was knocked down along Old Brompton Lane near U.S. Highway 72. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | - | Several trees were knocked down around the Killen area. A sign at a McDonalds restaurant along Highway 72 sustained damage. Time estimated by radar. |
| June 2017 | Flash Flood | East Killen | - | EMA reported water partially blocking Eastbound lane at US Hwy 72 and County Road 71/Lingerlost Road in Killen. Depth of water unknown. |
| November 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | - | Structural damage at the Killen Drug Store and the Tire Center. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Killen | - | Golf ball sized was reported via social media. |
| May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | - | Two trees and power lines were downed due to thunderstorm winds. A few shingles were also blown off of the roof top of a residence and at an apartment complex in Killen and just west of Rogersville, Alabama. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | - | A few trees were downed by thunderstorm winds at the intersection of County Roads 71 and 31. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Killen | - | A wind gust was estimated at 60 mph near U.S. highway 72 and County road 31, just southeast of Killen. |
| April 2011 | Heavy Rain | Killen | - | Up to 2.25 inches of rain was reported since 10 am resulting in minor street flooding in Killen. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Killen | - | Nickel size hail as reported in Killen. |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masonville (historical) | 0.4 miles | 18 | |
| East Killen | 0.6 miles | 18 | |
| Shoals Acres | 0.9 miles | 18 | |
| Lock Six | 1.0 miles | 18 | |
| Lakeside Acres | 1.3 miles | 18 | |
| Hideaway Hills | 1.4 miles | 18 | |
| Kingman (historical) | 1.6 miles | 18 | |
| Lauderdale Beach | 1.7 miles | 18 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Killen | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q66273 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 121192. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









