Orrville, Alabama
22 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the Athens census division. It lies in ZIP code area 35671. It stands on Swan Creek. The Survey maps it on the Tanner quadrangle.
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 22 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.
- 1888 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1936 USGS Tanner quadrangle1:24000
- 1938 USGS Tanner 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
- 1963 USGS Tanner quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1984 USGS Huntsville quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
38 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 38 fires within 5 miles of Orrville between 1996 and 2020, burning about 262 acres in total. None started naturally. 7 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 | 12 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 11 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 7 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2015 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | NOR-20150908-001 |
| 30 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20190930-4 |
| 25 September 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 7.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | NOR-20140925-003 |
| 22 September 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20180922-6 |
| 22 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | 20160922-11 |
| 19 September 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 15 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 35 acres | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
| 14 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Alabama Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Orrville: 1 producer, 1 unknown. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Phosphorus-Phosphates. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monsanto Phosphate Deposit No.43 | Phosphorus-Phosphates | Unknown | ||
| Plant 1 Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
11 since 2008Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Orrville in 11 storm reports between 2008 and 2025: 9 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2008 | Tornado (EF1) | Orrville | $200,000 | A tornado tracked through the northern portions of the community of Belle Mina on Christmas Eve. The tornado developed in a forested area just east of interstate 65 north of Garrett Road. It toppled trees onto a vehicle being used by hunters. The tornado tracked through a cotton field for about 1/2 of a mile before intensifying to EF-1 strength and destroying two single wide trailer homes. One was lifted off its foundation entirely with debris found several hundred yards downwind. Fortunately, no occupants were in either location. The tornado then tracked into a farmstead along Mooresville Road, completely destroying two large tractor sheds. Two of the adjacent homes sustained minor damage to the roof. Several cedar and cypress trees were either snapped or uprooted. One tree landed atop a vehicle. No injuries occurred. The tornado then crossed Mooresville Road, uprooting and snapping additional trees, and collapsing a small shed onto vehicles. One wall of an old small farmhouse also collapsed. No occupants were in the home at the time. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | $8,000 | Trees were reported down on powerlines near the Decatur ASOS. |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | Measured at Pryor Field. |
| January 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | A wind gust of 62 mph was observed at Pryor Field. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | Measured at Pryor Field. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | Winds gusted to between 70 and 85 mph at this location between 1220 and 1225 PM. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | Recorded at Pryor Field. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | A 59 mph wind gust was recorded at Pryor Field in Decatur. |
| April 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | A 72 mph wind gust was recorded at Pryor Field. |
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Orrville | - | A 60 mph wind gust was measured at Pryor Field. |
| April 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Orrville | - | The tornado began near mile markers 342 and 343, producing EF-0 intensity winds of up to 70 mph and snapping trees. The tornado then continued moving northeast producing generally minor and sporadic tree damage in rural areas of Limestone county along Brownsferry Road. It then continued its path northeast into Madison county. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Station | 0.7 miles | 22 | |
| Beulah Land | 2.0 miles | 15 | |
| Murphree Place | 2.4 miles | 22 | |
| Whiteside | 2.7 miles | 22 | |
| Decatur Junction | 2.8 miles | 22 | |
| Irvington | 3.2 miles | 22 | |
| Jones Crossroads | 3.7 miles | 15 | |
| Sweetwater | 4.2 miles | 22 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 156842. 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.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
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.









