Altus, Arkansas
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1887 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Hogan Township. It lies in ZIP code area 72821. The Survey maps it on the Ozark quadrangle. 665 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 541 feet above sea level.
On record in Altus
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 8 records
Altus Well Shed-Gazebolisted 1996
Center Cross Schoollisted 1992
German-American Banklisted 1990
Johnson County Line-Ozark-Crawford County Line Road, Altus Segmentlisted 2010
Missouri-Pacific Depot-Altuslisted 1992
O'Kane-Jacobs Houselisted 1991
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Churchlisted 1976
Wiederkehr Wine Cellarlisted 1977
Population over time
3 figuresAltus fell from 817 to 665 between 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 817 | |
| 2010 | 758 | -59 (-7%) |
| 2020 | 665 | -93 (-12%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 19 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.
- 1887 USGS Magazine Mountain quadrangle1:125000
- 1887 USGS Magazine Mountain #2 quadrangle1:62500
- 1890 USGS Magazine Mountain quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1956 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1964 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS Ozark quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1977 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:250000
- 1984 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1992 USGS Russellville quadrangle1:250000
- 1993 USGS Ozark quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
63 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 63 fires within 5 miles of Altus between 1997 and 2019, burning about 435 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 9 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 26 |
| Debris and open burning | 15 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 3 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Smoking | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2001 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2012 | Debris and open burning | 95 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 12 September 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 10 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 10 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 20 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 20 workings within 5 miles of Altus: 19 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Flagstone. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrisman Rock Quarry | Flagstone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Unk Quarries 2 | Stone | Past Producer | ||
| Gutrie Island | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
53 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Altus in 53 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 31 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. The reports record 1 injury. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2006 | Lightning | Altus | 1 hurt | A 59 year old man was struck by lightning in the yard of his home. |
| November 2001 | Tornado (F1) | Altus | $2,000,000 | An F1 tornado touched down 1 mile west of Altus and crossed the Johnson County border 6 miles northeast of Altus. The tornado first began doing damage just southwest of Highway 64. The strongest intensity began just south of Interstate 40, just east of Wiederkerh Village and continued across Interstate 40 into Philpott Valley where most of the property damage occurred. The tornado resulted in F1 damage to several houses. Several mobile homes, numerous barns, outbuildings, and other weaker structures were destroyed, including two long turkey houses. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $50,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged several outbuildings, damaged the roof of a home, damaged the roof of a school, and blew down trees. |
| April 2021 | Hail | Altus | $25,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged vehicles and homes in Denning. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds rolled a mobile home over and blew down several trees. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Altus | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $10,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a large tree onto a car. The car's occupant was trapped inside and needed to be rescued by first responders but was uninjured. |
| November 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Altus | $10,000 | A F0 tornado touched down 2 miles northeast of Altus and crossed into Johnson County 5 miles northeast of Altus. The tornado did tree damage, caused minor damage to a few homes and also blew down power lines. |
| November 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour by a trained spotter blew a truck over on Interstate 40. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged an outbuilding. |
| October 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind damaged a home and blew down a few trees. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines and a tree onto a house. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | A few trees and power lines were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a few trees and snapped power lines on Highway 186 north of Altus. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines in Denning. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees and power lines in the Denning area. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down large tree limbs and damaged the roof of a new mobile home. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down power lines causing power outages. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down trees and signs, and also damaged a building. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $2,500 | Numerous power lines and trees were blown down in Altus. |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $2,000 | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down power lines south of Highway 64 on Logan Street, and on Highway 179. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $1,000 | Trees were blown onto a power line between Ozark and Coal Hill, causing a power outage to a large part of western Johnson County. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $500 | Several trees (3 ft. diameter) were blown down in Altus. One tree was blown onto a street, blocking the roadway. |
| January 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | $300 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down numerous trees. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind snapped and uprooted numerous trees north of town. Saint Mary's Lane was covered in downed trees from just north of town up to the church. |
| March 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees on Highway 64 between Altus and Ozark. |
| July 2014 | Flash Flood | Altus | - | Locally heavy rainfall of around 5 inches in several hours resulted in the flooding of several county roads near and around Altus. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down a large tree. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down several trees across Highway 64. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Trees were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew down numerous trees. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 miles an hour blew down numerous large tree limbs. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Strong thunderstorm wind blew down trees. |
| November 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | Thunderstorm winds estimated at 70 miles an hour blew a few trees down. |
| March 1999 | Hail | Altus | - | Location: Wiederkehr Winery Restaurant...no damage |
| April 2021 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2009 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| February 2008 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| November 2001 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| November 2001 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| March 1999 | Funnel Cloud | Altus | - | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Altus | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Altus | - | no account filed |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denning | 1.2 miles | 19 | |
| Wiederkehr Village | 1.9 miles | 19 | |
| Alix | 2.2 miles | 19 | |
| Greenwood | 2.7 miles | 19 | |
| Webb City | 4.0 miles | 19 | |
| South Ozark | 4.3 miles | 19 | |
| Ozark | 4.5 miles | 19 | |
| Sutherland Crossroads | 6.1 miles | 14 |
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 Altus | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q79226 | 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 45850. 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.










