Alton, Missouri
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1944 and the latest in 1984. It stands in Piney Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65606. It stands on Tucker Creek. The Survey maps it on the Alton quadrangle. 707 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 781 feet above sea level.
On record in Alton
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 1 record
- Greer Milllisted 2006
Population over time
2 figuresAlton fell from 871 to 707 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 | 871 | |
| 2020 | 707 | -164 (-19%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 12 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.
- 1944 USGS Couch quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1946 USGS Couch quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Poplar Bluff quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Poplar Bluff quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Poplar Bluff quadrangle1:250000
- 1983 USGS Alton quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS West Plains quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
44 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 44 fires within 5 miles of Alton between 1992 and 2012, burning about 802 acres in total. None started naturally. 20 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 | 20 |
| Debris and open burning | 15 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 August 1993 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 21 August 2012 | Arson/incendiarism | 4.0 acres | Mark Twain National Forest | BRASWELL |
| 1 August 1997 | Equipment and vehicle use | 8.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 28 July 1997 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 7 April 1995 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Mark Twain National Forest | DEAD DOG NORTH I |
| 7 April 1995 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Mark Twain National Forest | AA SOUTH II |
| 7 April 1995 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Mark Twain National Forest | DEAD DOG NORTH II |
| 28 April 1993 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 20 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 20 workings within 5 miles of Alton: 11 past producers, 7 prospects, 2 occurrences. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Iron, Zinc. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.S.&R Zinc Mine | Iron, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Hess Zinc Mine | Iron, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Carson Iron Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Dewey Minich Property | Iron | Occurrence | Surface | |
| Doan-Ives Iron Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Drew Whitten Mine | Iron | Prospect | 1945 | |
| Erman Mcgibney Property | Iron | Occurrence | Surface | |
| Fanny Norman Prospect | Iron | Prospect | 1911 | |
| Freeman Prospect | Iron | Prospect | ||
| L.O. Huddleston | Iron | Prospect | Surface |
Storms near this place
60 of 68 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Alton in 68 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 27 hail, 26 thunderstorm wind, 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2017 | Flash Flood | Alton | $4,000,000 | Numerous county roads and bridges were damaged by flash floods. Several campgrounds and river access areas were severely damaged across the county. This report will contain the total dollar estimate for flood damage to infrastructure, businesses, and homes across Oregon County. $3M in damages were reported to roads alone in the county. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | $20,000 | Several city streets were flooded causing vehicles to become stranded. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $10,000 | A large tree fell on to a truck in Alton. This report was from social media. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $10,000 | Several power lines and trees were blown down. Several main roads were blocked by trees and power lines down. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Alton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| February 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $6,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $5,000 | A mobile home was blown off its foundation. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts damaged the roof of a church and knocked over a few trees. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $5,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts knocked over a large tree and landed on a car. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few power lines. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Alton | $5,000 | Reported by the county sheriff and Missouri Highway Patrol (Troop G). A local newspaper also reported numerous power poles and trees snapped off with approximately 3,000 people without power across the county. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $5,000 | Reported by the county sheriff and Missouri Highway Patrol (Troop G). A local newspaper also reported numerous power poles and trees snapped off with approximately 3,000 people without power across the county. |
| March 2026 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed two trees in Alton. |
| January 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Alton | $1,000 | A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that a weak EF-0 tornado damaged a few outbuildings south of Alton. A motorcycle shop sustained the most damage as a barn that sheltered several new motorcycles was destroyed. |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Alton | $500 | Reported by the county sheriff and Missouri Highway Patrol (Troop G). A local newspaper also reported numerous power poles and trees snapped off with approximately 3,000 people without power across the county. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Alton | $500 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | The Piney Creek at Highways 160 and 19 flooded several structures. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Several city streets were flooded with a few structures reporting water coming into the building. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Excessive rainfall caused high water to occur around town which caused flooding in the Harps Store. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | The Piney Creek at Highways 160 and 19 flooded several structures. |
| April 2025 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Tucker Creek was flowing out of its banks into fields and some roads. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Alton | - | Hen egg sized hail was reported in a mainly rural portion northeast of Alton, Mo. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Several trees were reported down causing power outages on Old Cane Bluff Road near Highway 19. |
| November 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Multiple trees and large limbs were reported down. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Alton | - | Half dollar sized hail was reported. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Numerous trees were blown down around Alton and Winona. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Several low water crossings were flooded across the county. |
| July 2015 | Flood | Alton | - | Highway P west of Alton was flooded and impassable. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | A large tree was blown down in the town of Alton. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | A tree was blown down. |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Heavy rain caused flooding over several low water crossings east of Alton. |
| April 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Alton | - | A small tornado tracked eight miles across rural central Oregon County. Only damage that occurred from this feature was minor damage to trees. |
| May 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Alton | - | A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that a weak tornado tracked through a highly remote and wooded area of eastern Oregon County. The tornado initially touched down three miles east of Riverton near County Road 152 just north of Highway 160, and moved two miles east. Intermitten minor tree damage was found along the 20 yard wide path. |
| May 2006 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Several low water crossings near the community of Alton became inundated with flash flooding from heavy thunderstorms. |
| September 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees in Alton. |
| September 2006 | Flash Flood | Alton | - | Flooding was reported over several county roads. |
| September 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees in the Alton area. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | A line of severe thunderstorms downed numerous trees across the county. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Several trees were downed from east of Alton northward to along the Shannon and Oregon county line from severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Downburst winds downed several trees in a wooded area east of Alton. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few trees along Highway 160 west of Alton. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees along Highway P. |
| July 2015 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| October 2014 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| October 2014 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| November 2007 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Alton | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Alton | - | 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.
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 Alton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q775500 | 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 713252. 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.






