Porterville, California
23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1929 and the latest in 1993. It stands in the Porterville census division. It lies in ZIP code area 93257. It lies near Murry Hill. The Survey maps it on the Porterville quadrangle. 62,623 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 459 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1929 to 1993The same ground, surveyed 64 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


On record in Porterville
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 3 records
First Congregational Churchlisted 1999
US Post Office-Porterville Mainlisted 1985
Zalud Houselisted 1987
Population over time
4 figuresPorterville grew from 202 to 62,623 between 1880 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 202 | |
| 1910 | 2,696 | |
| 2010 | 54,165 | |
| 2020 | 62,623 | +8,458 (+16%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 23 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.
- 1929 USGS Porterville quadrangle1:31680, 3 printings
- 1942 USGS Porterville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1948 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000
- 1951 USGS Porterville quadrangle1:24000, 6 printings
- 1955 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1962 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1966 USGS Fresno quadrangle1:250000
- 1993 USGS Visalia quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
739 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 739 fires within 5 miles of Porterville between 1992 and 2020, burning about 6,076 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 343 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 |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 343 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 200 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 90 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 58 |
| Smoking | 23 |
| Debris and open burning | 14 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Firearms and explosives use | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Tulare Unit | HAVERT |
| 9 September 1992 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Tulare Unit | RIVERBOTTOM #22 |
| 8 September 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Tulare Unit | PETTIS |
| 6 September 2005 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Tulare Unit | HARBISON |
| 6 September 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Tulare Unit | TULE #26 |
| 6 September 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Tulare Unit | LIME |
| 6 September 1993 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Tulare Unit | ORDUNO |
| 5 September 1993 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Tulare Unit | SINER |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 24 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 24 workings within 5 miles of Porterville: 15 past producers, 3 producers, 3 occurrences, 2 prospects. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Magnesite, Chromium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Iridium, Palladium, Platinum. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Creek Silver | Copper, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | ||
| Frazier Valley Borrow Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Holdridge | Limestone, General | Past Producer | ||
| Holston Chromite Deposit | Iron, Chromium | Past Producer | 1895 | |
| Holston Mine | Chromium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Iridium, Palladium, Platinum | Past Producer | 1895, 1918 | |
| Middletons Sequoia Rock Co. | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Silver, Gold | Past Producer | ||
| Porterville White Granite Quarry | Granite | Past Producer | 1915 | |
| Prospect Near Holston Chrome | Chromium, Platinum, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Iridium, Palladium | Occurrence | Chromite | |
| Unnamed Location | Gemstone | Occurrence | ||
| Valencia Heights | Clay | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
27 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Porterville in 27 storm reports between 1995 and 2021: 5 hail, 5 heavy rain, 5 wildfire, 4 thunderstorm wind. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Porterville | $2,000,000 | Trees down across Porterville. Damages reported to several houses due to fallen trees and limbs. |
| September 2003 | Wildfire | Porterville | $460,560 | The Michael Fire had an unknown ignition near Chimney Peak in southeast Tulare County. It consumed 388 acres at a cost of $460K. No fatalities occurred nor were structures lost. |
| May 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Porterville | $200,000 | Eyewitness reports and subsequent interviews confirm a small F0 Tornado struck the Porterville Airport at noon. Two general aviation aircraft were destroyed, minor roof damage occurred to the airport administration buildings, fences were downed, and some minor farm structures were destroyed one-half mile east of the airport. One aircraft was tied down but was lifted from its tiedown chains. The tornado was seen one mile southwest of the field and moved northeast through the center of the airport. Heavy rain occurred on the airfield following the event. |
| October 2003 | Wildfire | Porterville | $150,000 | The Albanita/Hooker Fire in the Sequoia National Forest was lightning ignited on September 3rd and then allowed to burn for resource management benefits. It consumed 4,483 acres by the end of October at an estimated cost of $150K. No injuries or fatalities were reported nor were any structures lost. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Porterville | $30,000 | Local police in Tulare reported trees and powerlines downed. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Porterville | $12,000 | Law enforcement in Porterville reported a roof blown off a barn due to outflow winds from a severe thunderstorm. |
| March 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Porterville | $5,000 | Thunderstorm wind (estimated at more than 37Kts) brought down powerlines and damaged the roof of an elementary school in Porterville late in the afternoon. |
| May 2003 | Heavy Rain | Porterville | $2,000 | One of many thunderstorms on this day throughout the Central and South San Joaquin Valley resulted in an estimated rainfall rate of 2"/hour near Porterville in the SE San Joaquin Valley. Spotters and police reported street flooding from the downpour with two homes damaged due to the excessive water. |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Porterville | $1,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Porterville | $1,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Debris Flow | Porterville | - | California Highway Patrol reported mud, rock and dirt covering most of North Plano St. near Lynch Dr. |
| November 2003 | Wildfire | Porterville | - | The Albanita/Hooker Fire was ignited September 3rd by lightning and allowed to burn as resource management burn until closed on the 8th of November. Its total cost was $150K and it consumed 4483 acres in the Sequoia National Forest. |
| September 2003 | Wildfire | Porterville | - | The Albanita/Hooker Fire in Sequoia National Forest was lightning ignited on the 3rd. It burned 175 acres by the 30th as it was allowed to burn for resource benefits. No injuries were reported nor was any structure lost. |
| April 1999 | Hail | Porterville | - | Hail damage to young vines, stone fruit, and deciduous crops. From the Tulare County Ag Commissioner some damage was reported in the vicinity of Porterville. |
| February 1998 | Funnel Cloud | Porterville | - | Spotter observed funnel to the WNW of Porterville High School. Classic 'V' shape about 1/3 of the way toward the ground. No damage occurred in the area. |
| January 2016 | Hail | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Heavy Rain | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Heavy Rain | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Lightning | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Heavy Rain | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| December 2002 | Heavy Rain | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Wildfire | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Hail | Porterville | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Funnel Cloud | Porterville | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roche | 0.6 miles | 23 | |
| Plano | 1.6 miles | 23 | |
| Ponca | 1.6 miles | 23 | |
| Monache (historical) | 2.2 miles | 23 | |
| East Porterville | 2.2 miles | 27 | |
| Westfield | 2.3 miles | 23 | |
| Lumer | 2.3 miles | 27 | |
| Lisko | 2.4 miles | 23 |
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 Porterville | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q927173 | 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 1652779. 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.










