Braidwood, Illinois
23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1999. It stands in Reed Township. It lies in ZIP code area 60408. The Survey maps it on the Wilmington quadrangle. 6,194 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 568 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresBraidwood grew from 6,191 to 6,194 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 | 6,191 | |
| 2020 | 6,194 | +3 (+0%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 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.
- 1892 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1918 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:62500, 5 printings
- 1954 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1954 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Aurora quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1961 USGS Aurora quadrangle1:250000
- 1985 USGS Ottawa quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Ottawa quadrangle1:100000
- 1993 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:24000
- 1999 USGS Wilmington quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
12 since 2009Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 12 fires within 5 miles of Braidwood in 2009, burning about 332 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 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 | 10 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 August 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE13 |
| 5 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE10 |
| 5 May 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 5.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE9 |
| 29 May 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE11 |
| 26 April 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRAACE8 |
| 5 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE2 |
| 5 March 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 150 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE1 |
| 27 March 2009 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | BRACE6 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Braidwood: 2 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bice Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bohac Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Charles & Son Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Fatlan Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
25 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Braidwood in 25 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 15 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF2) | Braidwood | $2,000,000 | This is a continuation of a tornado that began at 12:22 PM CST in Grundy County. The tornado moved into Will County on N Will Road just south of State Route 113. There was considerable damage to businesses on State Route 113 between N Will Road and I-55. An RV dealership had numerous vehicles overturned and damaged. A two story structure lost its roof and had portions of its walls ripped off. A model home was completely removed from its foundation on the north side of State Route 113. A manufactured building had its roof ripped off with all the walls collapsed. Widespread tree damage was observed along the west side of I-55 where the tornado almost tracked parallel to as it weakened. The tornado crossed I-55 near Widows Road where several hardwood trees were uprooted. The tornado tracked into the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie where it damaged several metal structures just west of Route 53. The tornado lifted just east of Route 53. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be up to 125 mph. |
| June 2015 | Tornado (EF2) | Braidwood | $250,000 | This is a continuation of a tornado that begin in Grundy County. The tornado crossed into Will County near E Reed Road. The tornado crossed part of the property of the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station producing tree damage. Wooden power poles were broken along Route 53, and again along Zilm Road. A garage was nearly completely destroyed along Ohlhues Road. (Tornado 8b of 10). |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | $20,000 | A tractor trailer was blown over on Interstate 55 near mile marker 232. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | $20,000 | Estimated gust to 60 mph. Numerous trees and tree limbs blown down. One tree was blown down onto a house in Wilmington. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | $10,000 | Damage was reported to a storage trailer and to the roof of a gas station near Interstate 55. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | $5,000 | Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down, including some that fell onto vehicles. Power lines were also blown down along Division Street and Main Street. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. Five to six homes suffered roof and shingle damage from falling trees. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Several trees approximately 12 inches in diameter were uprooted near the intersection of Main Street and Cook Street in Braidwood. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Multiple large tree limbs were blown. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | A tree was blown down onto power lines along County Line Road. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Also pea size hail. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Braidwood | - | Nickel size hail was reported in Diamond. |
| March 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Tree limbs blown down on roadways. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Tree limbs blown down at Route 113 and West River Road. |
| October 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | A very large tree was blown down at Essex Road and Route 113. |
| October 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | Tree limbs blown down across the city. Large tree limbs blown down at Route 53 and Coal City Road. |
| August 1993 | Hail | Braidwood | - | Hail ranging in size from marble- to golfball-size fell from 1708 CST to 1713 CST in a swath 7 miles long and 3 miles wide through Morris. Sixty- to seventy-mph winds knocked down large tree branches and caused structural damage to buildings. There was $200,000 in property damage and $300,000 in crop damage in Grundy County. The hailstorm continued southeast to Braidwood before diminishing in southern Will County. |
| March 2012 | Hail | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Hail | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Hail | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Funnel Cloud | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Braidwood | - | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Braidwood | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godley | 2.6 miles | 13 | |
| Lakewood Shores | 3.8 miles | 23 | |
| Riverwood Estates | 4.0 miles | 23 | |
| Resthaven | 4.0 miles | 23 | |
| Torino (historical) | 4.3 miles | 13 | |
| Winchester Estates | 4.5 miles | 23 | |
| Wilmington | 4.6 miles | 23 | |
| Custer Park | 4.6 miles | 13 |
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 Braidwood | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q578603 | 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 404791. 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.









