Buffalo, Missouri
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1884 and the latest in 1984. It stands in North Benton Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65622. The Survey maps it on the Buffalo quadrangle. 3,290 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,201 feet above sea level.
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Population over time
2 figuresBuffalo grew from 3,084 to 3,290 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 | 3,084 | |
| 2020 | 3,290 | +206 (+7%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 17 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.
- 1884 USGS Bolivar quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Bolivar quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1954 USGS Springfield quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1958 USGS Springfield quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Springfield quadrangle1:250000
- 1961 USGS Buffalo quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Bolivar quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
22 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 22 fires within 5 miles of Buffalo between 1994 and 2020, burning about 81 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 | 7 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179213-03010-09132019-1303 |
| 11 September 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 22 August 2019 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 179212-03010-08222019-1818 |
| 6 May 2020 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 200510-03010-05062020-1507 |
| 7 March 2018 | Fireworks | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 177110-03010-03072018-1533 |
| 6 March 2020 | Fireworks | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 190155-03010-03062020-1823 |
| 23 March 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 177111-03010-03232018-1630 |
| 23 March 1995 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Buffalo: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Lead, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgans Mine and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Ziegler Diggings | Lead | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 126 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Buffalo in 126 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 42 thunderstorm wind, 40 hail, 25 flash flood, 10 flood. The reports record 14 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2008 | Lightning | Buffalo | 14 hurt | Fourteen Buffalo High School students were injured from a large tree limb falling to the ground. This tree limb fell due to lightning striking the tree. All of the injuries from the students were minor. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $250,000 | Two houses were evacuated due to flash flooding near Spruce and Jefferson. Five houses were flooded. There was one roof that collapsed on a auto repair shop due to water. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $150,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts ripped off shingles on several houses while blowing over numerous power lines. Trees were also damaged from these severe winds. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $125,000 | Numerous trees were broken and uprooted and shingle damage occurred to several roofs in town. One home had several windows blown out and large portions of its roof torn back near the intersection of North Pine Street and West Dallas Street. Numerous other locations across the county also suffered wind damage to homes, outbuildings and trees. There were several reports of tornadoes, though these could not be confirmed. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Buffalo | $100,000 | Hail up to golf balls in size was reported. Some minor home and vehicle damage occurred. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Buffalo | $100,000 | Baseball size hail damaged cars along with the roofs and windows of houses. |
| April 2026 | Tornado (EF0) | Buffalo | $50,000 | A National Weather Service survey determined that an EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 70mph produced an intermittent damage path to the east northeast of Buffalo, MO. Reports of a funnel cloud near the ground were received from the Springfield Street area southeast of Buffalo, with the first damage viewed north of Quarry Road in a wooded area. The tornado did the majority of its damage as it crossed Ozark Trail. One mobile home suffered broken glass on the south and north sides of the structure and another on the east side of the structure. Additional damage was noted to several outbuildings. Additional large limbs were noted on Steelman Road and west of Engle Road via Sentinel-2 satellite data analysis. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $50,000 | The remnants of Tropical Storm Erin produced excessive rainfall across much of Dallas County. Flash flooding of low lying areas and roads occurred. Specific locations that experienced flooding include a section of Highway 65 in Buffalo between its intersection with Highway 32 and W Highway, a low water crossing between Rocket Road and Rainbow Road, and a section of Highway 73 north of Rainbow Road. |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $35,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $25,000 | One house was evacuated due to flash flooding and water in the home near Spruce and Jefferson Street. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $20,000 | A large tree was blown onto a home and a shed was rolled by high winds. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $20,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $15,000 | A large hardwood tree was blown over on a privacy fen and a riding lawn mower. |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $15,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | A tiny home was rolled on its side by high winds. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | Multiple limbs up to 1 inch in diameter and minor shingle damage was reported. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | Multiple utility poles were downed near the Woods Supermarket, one of which fell onto a tractor-trailer. The time was estimated by radar. |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts destroyed a barn and downed a few large trees in a rural area north of Buffalo. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Buffalo | $10,000 | Golf ball size hail damaged a Sheriffs Deputy's patrol car. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | Downburst winds downed several power poles and trees. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | A large 8 to 10 inch diameter limb fell on a vehicle. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. |
| June 1998 | Hail | Buffalo | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $3,000 | no account filed |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $3,000 | no account filed |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $2,000 | A large tree was down on powerlines. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $2,000 | Report of tree limbs down, siding damage, and a wooden play set tipped over. |
| July 2015 | Lightning | Buffalo | $2,000 | Lightning hit a transformer which knocked out power. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $2,000 | A power pole was snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Buffalo | $500 | Reported by a Skywarn spotter. |
| August 2024 | Hail | Buffalo | $250 | Quarter size hail reported by emergency management. There were also 2-3 inch tree limbs that were reported down. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Hail to the size of half dollars was reported. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | A large tree was split in half. |
| April 2025 | Flood | Buffalo | - | Highway 32 and surrounding areas at Greasy Creek was flooded and impassable. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Water was reported over the road on Hickory Street in Buffalo due to heavy rainfall. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Multiple roads were flooded in and around the city of Buffalo due to heavy rainfall. |
| July 2025 | Flood | Buffalo | - | The road was flooded and impassable at north Hickory Street and Autoscope Drive in Buffalo. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Large limbs were reported down. |
| August 2024 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Report of quarter size hail. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Mping report of a flooded roadway due to heavy rain. |
| May 2022 | Flood | Buffalo | - | Route C at the Little Lindley Creek low water crossing was closed due to flooding. |
| July 2020 | Flood | Buffalo | - | Minor street flooding was reported in town as 1.64 inches of rain fall over a nearly 4 hour period. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Multiple trees were snapped or uprooted. |
| July 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | A 24 hour rainfall of 3.86 inches was measured. |
| October 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | The CoCoRaHS station mo-fsa-059 near buffalo reported 2.47 inches of rainfall. |
| October 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | The CoCoRaHS station mo-dl-21 near buffalo reported 2.67 inches of rainfall. |
| October 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | The Mesonet station BFFLD at Buffalo reported 2.38 inches of rainfall. |
| May 2019 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | State Highway C was closed due to flooding from Little Lindley Creek. |
| May 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | A CoCoRaHS station reported 1.59 inches of rainfall in two hours. |
| May 2019 | Heavy Rain | Buffalo | - | Measured rainfall of 4.93 inched occurred over the proceeding 20 hours. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Several trees and power lines were blown down. |
| October 2016 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Nickel to quarter size hail fell for about 5 minutes. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Buffalo | - | The post office in Buffalo reported quarter sized hail. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | There was water over the road near Autoscope Road and Hickory Street in Buffalo. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | There was water over the road on Highway 65 near mile mark 65. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Dime to nickle size hail was reported in Buffalo. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reynolds | 3.5 miles | 19 | |
| Cloverdale | 3.5 miles | 17 | |
| Dallion Ford (historical) | 6.2 miles | 14 | |
| Gaunt Ford (historical) | 6.3 miles | 14 | |
| Foose | 6.4 miles | 17 | |
| Mathis | 6.6 miles | 19 | |
| Hico (historical) | 6.9 miles | 17 | |
| Spring Grove | 7.0 miles | 17 |
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 Buffalo | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q956852 | 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 715000. 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.






