Paoli, Indiana
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1956 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Paoli Township. It lies in ZIP code area 47454. The Survey maps it on the Paoli quadrangle. 3,666 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 623 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Paoli
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 5 records
Thomas Newby Braxtan Houselisted 1989
Thomas Elwood Lindley Houselisted 1985
Newberry Friends Meeting Houselisted 1996
Orange County Courthouselisted 1975
Paoli Historic Districtlisted 1994
Population over time
3 figuresPaoli grew from 461 to 3,666 between 1850 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 461 | |
| 2010 | 3,677 | |
| 2020 | 3,666 | -11 (-0%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 14 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.
- 1956 USGS Vincennes quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1957 USGS Paoli quadrangle1:24000
- 1957 USGS Vincennes quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Vincennes quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1970 USGS Paoli quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1986 USGS Bedford quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Bedford quadrangle1:100000
- 1993 USGS Paoli quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
20 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 20 fires within 5 miles of Paoli between 1993 and 2012, burning about 43 acres in total. None started naturally. None was 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 | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 September 2007 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Hoosier National Forest | SPRINGS FIRE |
| 11 September 1993 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Hoosier National Forest | not named |
| 6 July 2012 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Hoosier National Forest | 270 WEST |
| 30 June 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Hoosier National Forest | BEECHGROVE |
| 11 May 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Hoosier National Forest | PINE VALLEY |
| 9 April 2001 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Hoosier National Forest | MULZER |
| 2 April 2002 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Hoosier National Forest | AIRPORT |
| 11 March 2001 | Debris and open burning | 6.0 acres | Hoosier National Forest | WEST BADEN BARREL |
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 Paoli: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcar Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Cave Quarries, Inc. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
51 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Paoli in 51 storm reports between 1996 and 2023: 28 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 4 flash flood, 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Paoli | $250,000 | There was extensive flooding of a residential area in the northern part of Paoli. The worst flooding was on Charles Street and Autumn Drive. Two homes were swept off their foundations by flowing waters. Several residents in the area had to be evacuated by boat. |
| November 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Paoli | $100,000 | A tornado first touched down on the north side of the Paoli school complex three quarters of a mile west of the downtown square. It destroyed a 100 year old barn and heavily damaged the roofs of two other outbuildings. It then removed a large section of roofing from the Paoli police department on West Main Street before snapping several trees along Lick Creek. Based on a damage survey, this tornado was classified as an EF-1 with peak winds from 95 to 100 mph between its initial touchdown and the Paoli town square. While moving across the town square, this tornado ripped the metal roofs off of two businesses. Three chimneys on the Orange County Courthouse collapsed. Moving east of the town square, the tornado traveled another mile and a quarter, weakening to EF-0 status while uprooting many trees and damaging the roofs of several homes. Before lifting next to North Marshall Road, the tornado damaged a metal outbuilding. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | $100,000 | Several homes sustained major roof damage. A new modular home was blown off its foundation. Trees and power lines were downed in the area. A storm spotter estimated a 100 MPH wind gust. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | $30,000 | Multiple trees were reported down on the western side of Paoli. There were also several power outages. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | $15,000 | State officials reported power lines down on Water Street in Paoli. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Trees were blown down along State Route 37 near Paoli in addition to other locations across the county. |
| August 2023 | Tornado (EF1) | Paoli | - | The first damage point had a few topped and twisted trees near Red Bud Lane and Hospital Rd. Wind speeds were between 75 and 80 mph with a 50 yard width. There was sporadic tree damage along a creek, and tree damage became more concentrated along Apache and Slaten Drive with trees twisted, topped, and one uprooted tree. Wind speeds increased to 85 to 90 mph with a width of 75 yards. The width increased to 100 yards along Sandy Hook Road and Paul Street with wind speeds around 90 mph. There were several trees on homes, and increased twisting of the trees with damage going from the east southeast to the north northeast. There were numerous power poles and powerlines down between Indiana 37 and Paul Street.||The peak of the tornado damage was on the east side of Indiana 37 between Locust Street and Oak Street. Several warehouses had significant roof damage with debris thrown from east southeast to north northeast. There were several cars that had debris on the west and east side of them. The debris from the warehouse was thrown into a forested area up to 200 yards in distance. Wind speed in this area were 100 mph with a width of 110 yards. The NWS drone was key to the survey, with drone imagery capturing trees snapped, topped, and uprooted several hundred yards east of the last warehouse. There was a lot of straight line wind damage between the two different tornadoes in Paoli. |
| August 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Paoli | - | There was plenty of straight-line tree damage from just south of the courthouse in Paoli all the way to the Pioneer Mothers Park of Hoosier National Forest. Across from the park (west side of Indiana Hwy 37) at a residence, there were many trees and large limbs down from straight-line winds (west to the east direction) of 65 mph on the south side of the property and further south on Indiana Hwy 37.||However on the north side of the property, cedar trees were twisted and debris thrown to a north-northeasterly direction. A sycamore tree was snapped with debris going from the east-northeast all the way to a northerly direction.||The survey team spoke to hikers attempting to hike down the Pioneer Mothers Park trail and it was impassable due to trees uprooted, twisted, snapped and topped. The hikers showed pictures of the dozens and dozens of snapped and uprooted trees going from the east- northeast to the north-northeast direction. This EF0 tornado had max wind speeds of 85 mph with a width of 60 yards wide.||The NWS Drone was key to the survey, with drone imagery capturing trees snapped, topped, and uprooted well into the forest. The drone was flown to a large quarry near Highway 150 with all tree damage all facing west to east direction. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | There were trees down near Paoli. |
| October 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Multiple trees across the county were brought down due to high winds, but power and property were not affected. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Numerous trees were reported down across Orange County. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Trees were reported down in Paoli, Indiana. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | There was a tree down on South State Road 37 approximately one mile south of Paoli, Indiana. |
| November 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | The Orange County emergency manager reported trees down in Paoli. |
| February 2016 | Heavy Rain | Paoli | - | A public weather station measured 2.15 inches of rain, most of which fell within a couple hours. |
| May 2015 | Hail | Paoli | - | A broadcast media meteorologist relayed a report of dime size hail in Paoli. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | A trained spotter measured a 56 knot wind gust. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Paoli | - | An Orange County law enforcement official reported that Highway 150 between French Lick and Paoli was flooded in spots. Around 2 inches of rain fell in the area from slow moving thunderstorms. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Paoli | - | A law enforcement official reported that SR56 west of Paoli was closed due to high water flowing over it. Around 2 inches of rain fell from slow moving thunderstorms. |
| April 2014 | Flash Flood | Paoli | - | Lick Creek, in Paoli, overflowed it banks and brought flooding to State Road 37. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Paoli | - | One inch hail was reported at Paoli High School. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Paoli | - | A spotter reported 1 inch hail just east of Paoli. |
| April 2013 | Hail | Paoli | - | A spotter reported 1.75 inch hail in Paoli. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Several trees fell along State Road 37 South. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | A trained spotter reported a measured gust of 60 mph. |
| March 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | A tree was blown down on 175W southwest of Paoli. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Law enforcement estimated a 60 mph wind gust. Large tree limbs were downed on State Highway 156 between Paoli and French Lick. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Numerous trees were downed. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Trees and power lines were downed. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Trees were downed. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Several trees were blown down. |
| February 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | Power pole down |
| February 1999 | Hail | Paoli | - | One inch hail fell in Paoli |
| May 2011 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| October 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| November 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| April 1998 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Paoli | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braxtons Siding | 1.1 miles | 14 | |
| Woodlawn Grove | 1.6 miles | 14 | |
| Turleys | 2.9 miles | 15 | |
| Lost River | 3.6 miles | 14 | |
| Syria | 4.1 miles | 14 | |
| Stampers Creek | 4.5 miles | 14 | |
| Chambersburg | 4.8 miles | 14 | |
| Abydel | 5.0 miles | 15 |
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 Paoli | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2528064 | 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 451312. 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.







