Clearwater, Kansas
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Ninnescah Township. It lies in ZIP code area 67026. The Survey maps it on the Clearwater quadrangle. 2,653 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,286 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresClearwater grew from 2,481 to 2,653 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 | 2,481 | |
| 2020 | 2,653 | +172 (+7%) |
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.
- 1889 USGS Cheney quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1891 USGS Cheney quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1901 USGS Cheney quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Clearwater quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:100000
- 1990 USGS Wichita quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
42 since 2015Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 42 fires within 5 miles of Clearwater between 2015 and 2020, burning about 143 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 20 |
| Debris and open burning | 13 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 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 2017 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Sedgwick County | 44 |
| 23 September 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Sedgwick County | 6843 |
| 26 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 10 acres | Kansas Forest Service | not named |
| 22 July 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 41 |
| 23 June 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Kansas Forest Service | 35 |
| 5 May 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 3529 |
| 14 May 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 36 |
| 26 April 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Kansas Forest Service | 34 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 109 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Clearwater in 109 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 51 hail, 44 thunderstorm wind, 5 flood, 4 flash flood. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1999 | Hail | Clearwater | 1 hurt, $500,000 | Quarter to tennisball-sized hail pummeled Clearwater, breaking windows and inflicting widespread damage to roofs and vehicles. One tennisball-sized hailstone struck a man in the head rendering him unconscious. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Clearwater | $100,000 | Three water rescues occurred near Clearwater, Kansas due to rising water from the Ninnescah River getting close to homes. |
| November 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Clearwater | $50,000 | The tornado touched down breifly prior to hitting one home and lifted after about a mile. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | $50,000 | Several farm buildings damaged as well as a large scoreboard blown over at a sports complex. A few homes sustained damage from falling trees. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | $25,000 | Power lines downed. |
| October 2008 | Flood | Clearwater | $10,000 | Numerous roads were reported to have water over them including 167th Street West and Kellogg, 95th Street South and 263rd Street West and MacArthur at 135th Street West and 151st Street West. Rain of 2 to nearly 3.5 inches were reported in western Sedgwick County. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | $9,000 | Estimated 70 mph winds lifted the roof off a machine shed, which came down and demolished a childrens play area. A trampoline was also thrown over three fences. A nearby homestead also had a barn destroyed. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | $5,000 | A KWCH storm chaser reported numerous tree limbs down and the power knocked out in the Clearwater area. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | $3,000 | A 15-inch diameter tree and 6-inch diameter tree limbs were downed near K-42. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Clearwater | $100 | An NWS employee reported water over 103rd Street, approximately 2 feet deep along the Ninnescah River. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Clearwater | $100 | Water was reported over the roadway at 151st Street and west Deer Trail Circle. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Clearwater | $100 | A National Weather Service Employee reported a rainfall amount of 9.13 inches, which caused water to flow across 71st Street just south of 135th Street. |
| August 2013 | Flood | Clearwater | $100 | Numerous rural and county roads were water covered along the Ninnescah River and its tributaries. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Several tree limbs were reported down with the sizes unknown. Wind speeds were estimated between 65 and 70 mph. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Wind speeds were estimated along with half-inch hail. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | A four inch diameter limb was down. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Estimated wind gusts around 60 mph. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Estimated wind gusts around 60 mph. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Wind gusts were estimated between 65 to 70 mph winds. |
| September 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | The employee estimated 60 to 65 mph wind gusts. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Wind gusts were measured to be at 60 mph for around 10 minutes. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | There were reports of large tree limbs down and no power in parts of Clearwater. |
| September 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | A report called into dispatch of a power line down on a tree that set a tree on fire. The report was relayed via emergency management. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar. |
| February 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Off duty firefighter reported a 67 mph wind gust. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | This was an estimated wind gust. |
| November 2022 | Heavy Rain | Clearwater | - | A public report via social media reported 3.20 inches. |
| June 2022 | Heavy Rain | Clearwater | - | A Cocorahs station 4 miles north of Clearwater reported 1.36 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Clearwater | - | The hail was dime to quarter size. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Clearwater | - | Dime to quarter size hail was reported. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | This was a measured gust. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Large tree limbs of five to six inches in diameter were reported to be down around town. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | No damage was reported. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | No damage was reported. |
| March 2017 | Hail | Clearwater | - | An off-duty NWS employee reported the event. |
| September 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | The gust was measured by an in-house weather station. |
| April 2016 | Flash Flood | Clearwater | - | Flooding occurred around the 183rd W./71st St. S. Intersection. |
| April 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | No damage was reported. |
| April 2016 | Flash Flood | Clearwater | - | A creek in Clearwater overflowed its banks. Vehicles were being moved. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Power lines were blown down in the Clearwater area. This was received via social by KFDI. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | An off duty NWS employee measured the gust. |
| July 2015 | Flood | Clearwater | - | Water was reported over the roads of 183rd St. West between 71st and 79th Streets South as well as 55th Street South between 183rd and 199th Streets West. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Clearwater | - | The spotter reported the golf ball sized hail occurred along with hail of various other sizes that eventually covered the ground. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Winds were sustained for approximately 10 minutes. |
| May 2013 | Tornado (EF2) | Clearwater | - | A large tornado moved across rural areas in Sedgwick county causing damage to a few farmsteads. None of the major structures took a direct hit from the tornado. Most of the damage was limited to power poles, barns, silos, and farm equipment. A horse trailer was thrown for approximately 220 yards by the tornado. The Doppler on Wheels was also in the vicinity and recorded 155 mph winds at 70 meters above ground level. This would be an EF3, however, based on damage it did not appear that wind speeds at that level reached the surface. Hence the EF2 rating. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | A tree with an 8-inch diameter trunk was uprooted. This was a delayed report from an NWS employee. |
| February 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | A fence was damaged and several trees were blown down. |
| April 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | The wind gust was estimated by a trained spotter. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | No damage reported. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Power lines and a few power poles downed caused some power outages in the area. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Tree limbs up to 18 inches in diameter were snapped. Clearwater was without power. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated at the Elementary School. |
| September 2008 | Heavy Rain | Clearwater | - | A trained spotter reported 8.00 inches of rainfall for the storm. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clearwater | - | Small branches downed. (Possible over-estimate on speed). |
| June 2000 | Hail | Clearwater | - | Reported by KWCH Channel 12. |
| September 1999 | Hail | Clearwater | - | Hailstone diameters ranged from 0.75-0.88 inch. reports also received from amateur radio operators. |
| September 1999 | Hail | Clearwater | - | Hailstone diameters ranged from 1.00-1.25 inches. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Clearwater | - | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Hail | Clearwater | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Hail | Clearwater | - | no account filed |
| April 2019 | Hail | Clearwater | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayneville | 4.8 miles | 20 | |
| Clonmel | 4.9 miles | 14 | |
| Viola | 7.5 miles | 19 | |
| Murray Gill | 8.1 miles | 20 | |
| Schulte | 8.5 miles | 20 | |
| Haysville | 9.1 miles | 19 | |
| Wego-Waco | 9.1 miles | 19 | |
| Prospect | 9.6 miles | 20 |
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 Clearwater | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2318575 | 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 474315. 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.
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.







