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Cottonwood Falls, Kansas

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1898 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Falls Township. It lies in ZIP code area 66845. It stands on Spring Creek. The Survey maps it on the Cottonwood Falls quadrangle. 851 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,204 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Cottonwood Falls within Chase County

On record in Cottonwood Falls

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 6 records

Population over time

2 figures

Cottonwood Falls fell from 903 to 851 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.

YearPeople Change
2010903
2020851-52 (-6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 12 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

16 since 2010

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 16 fires within 5 miles of Cottonwood Falls between 2010 and 2016, burning about 8,949 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
Debris and open burning9
Missing data/not specified/undetermined3
Equipment and vehicle use2
Arson/incendiarism1
Smoking1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
21 July 2011Equipment and vehicle use19 acresTallgrass Prairie National PreserveCEMETARY
7 April 2015Debris and open burning40 acresKansas Forest Service26
4 April 2015Debris and open burning60 acresKansas Forest Service24
21 April 2015Debris and open burning25 acresKansas Forest Service30
15 April 2014Debris and open burning2,095 acresTallgrass Prairie National PreserveFOX CREEK
14 April 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined121 acresChase County2 SECTION
14 April 2015Debris and open burning2,066 acresTallgrass Prairie National Preserve15 TWO SECTION EAST TRAPS
10 April 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined936 acresFlint Hills National Wildlife RefugeCRUSHER HILL 2

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Chase County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Cottonwood Falls: 1 producer. 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Biggs QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Chase County

Storms near this place

60 of 94 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cottonwood Falls in 94 storm reports between 1997 and 2026: 46 hail, 37 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 flood. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2009Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$25,000Many large trees were knocked down throughout town.
August 2019LightningCottonwood Falls$15,000The lightning struck a camper. The camper was subsequently destroyed with only one wall left standing. No injuries were reported. The report was received courtesy of radio station KVOE. This was a delayed report.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$10,000Shed blown down. Tree damage.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$10,000One-two foot diameter tree limbs broken off and doors blown off barns.
April 2023Tornado (EF1)Cottonwood Falls$5,000The sixth tornado produced by the supercell tracked across the town of Cottonwood Falls producing EF1 damage, mainly to trees and minor damage to roof structures.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$5,000Several large trees were blown down from high winds. Winds were estimated to be at least 65 mph.
April 2006HailCottonwood Falls$5,000The hail broke out windows of historic buildings which are part of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$4,000Power poles were reported down.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$2,000A 3 to 4 foot diameter tree fell across the road.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$1,000Power lines were reported down.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls$100A few 3 to 4-inch diameter tree limbs were downed.
April 2026HailCottonwood Falls-Report was received courtesy of KSN, and it was supported by law enforcement.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Sporadic damage reported across the county with trees, tree limbs, and privacy fences knocked down. A metal roof was partially blown off in Cottonwood Falls.
April 2023Tornado (EF0)Cottonwood Falls-This was the seventh tornado of the event. Damage was limited to trees and siding of homes.
April 2023HailCottonwood Falls-This was reported via social media.
May 2023HailCottonwood Falls-Penny-sized hail was reported on Highway 50 courtesy of KWCH.
May 2022HailCottonwood Falls-In addition to the hail, there were 60 to 70 mph winds that occurred. This did result in downed tree limbs.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Law enforcement reported 60 to 70 mph winds and quarter sized hail.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Trained spotter reported one inch and larger tree limbs that were downed by a thunderstorm wind gust.
November 2022Heavy RainCottonwood Falls-A Coop observer reported 2.67 inches of rainfall.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Tree limbs were blown down and light poles were knocked over.
May 2020HailCottonwood Falls-Lots of hail was reported.
August 2018HailCottonwood Falls-Leaves and twigs were stripped.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-No damage was reported.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-The wind-driven rains caused no-zero visibilities.
July 2015HailCottonwood Falls-The hail was pea to quarter size.
July 2013FloodCottonwood Falls-Numerous roads across the county were flooded.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-A train was derailed due to the strong winds.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Strong winds destroyed a greenhouse and blew out several tree limbs.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Estimated gust reported by a trained spotter.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Estimated gust reported by a trained spotter.
April 2010Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Spotter estimated pea to half inch sized hail with the 50 to 60 mph winds.
June 2009Heavy RainCottonwood Falls-Rainfall measured 2.00 inches.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-A trained spotter estimated the winds.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-High winds picked up suddenly from the south.
April 2008HailCottonwood Falls-Winds up to 60 mph accompanied the hail.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Quarter size hail accompanied the wind.
February 2007HailCottonwood Falls-Hail covered the ground.
March 2007FloodCottonwood Falls-High water was reported over several rural roads and some town roads countywide.
June 2007Flash FloodCottonwood Falls-Widespread 4 to 8 inch rainfall amounts occurred across mainly the southeastern half of Chase County from June 28th through the 30th, producing widespread flooding of county and secondary roads.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Occurred with nickel sized hail.
May 2006HailCottonwood Falls-Occurred with estimated 40 to 50 mph winds.
May 2005Flash FloodCottonwood Falls-Several county roads under water.
June 2005Flash FloodCottonwood Falls-Water was reported to be covering the road.
August 2005Flash FloodCottonwood Falls-Widespread flash flooding of county roads in and around town.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Several six inch tree limbs were blown down.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-Limbs downed.
April 2026HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
April 2023HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
March 2017HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
March 2017HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
April 2016HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
March 2011HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
March 2011HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
March 2011HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
May 2011HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
April 2009Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Falls-no account filed
June 2009HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
June 2009HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed
June 2009HailCottonwood Falls-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Chase County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Strong City1.8 miles14
Gladstone3.3 miles16
Neva4.3 miles14
Elmdale5.4 miles13
Ellinor6.3 miles19
Rockland6.6 miles14
Bazaar6.9 miles12
Saffordville8.2 miles19

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 Cottonwood FallsAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2232359The 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 477262. 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.