Butler, Missouri
15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1887 and the latest in 1981. It stands in Mount Pleasant Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64730. It stands on Root Branch. The Survey maps it on the Butler quadrangle. 4,220 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 863 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Butler
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 2 records
Bates County Courthouselisted 2001
Palace Hotellisted 2002
Population over time
2 figuresButler grew from 4,219 to 4,220 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 | 4,219 | |
| 2020 | 4,220 | +1 (+0%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 15 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.
- 1887 USGS Butler quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Butler quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
- 1947 USGS Lawrence quadrangle1:250000
- 1950 USGS Lawrence quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Lawrence quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1961 USGS Butler quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Lawrence quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Butler quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
15 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Butler between 1992 and 2020, burning about 71 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 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 |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 7 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 17 June 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 210518-00703-06172020-1935 |
| 10 May 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri Department of Conservation | 200514-00703-05102020-1230 |
| 9 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 121778-00703-03092015-1530 |
| 7 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 121775-00703-03072015-1534 |
| 22 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 8.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 121788-00703-03222015-1507 |
| 19 March 1994 | Arson/incendiarism | 4.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 2 October 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9.3 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 230824-00703-10022020-1500 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 16 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 16 workings within 5 miles of Butler: 13 past producers, 3 producers. 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B + B Rock & Lime Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Bates Co #1 Butler Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Bates County Rock Phosphate Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Batesco #1 Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Butler City Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls. | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 64 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Butler in 64 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 30 hail, 23 thunderstorm wind, 7 flash flood, 2 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 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | $500,000 | Out buildings were knocked down and large trees blown down. |
| March 2006 | Hail | Butler | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | $10,000 | Mobile home blown over and several barns damaged. trees and power lines down. |
| March 2006 | Tornado (F2) | Butler | $5,000 | Tornado touched down at 1952 CST just on the north side of Butler...and then proceeded northeast over rural country...before crossing over into Cass county 2 miles north of Ballard at 2005 CST. Damage was limited to trees...power lines...and one barn. |
| May 2003 | Hail | Butler | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Lightning | Butler | $2,000 | Lightning caused damage to a house. |
| April 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Downed power lines along Highway 52 southeast of Butler. |
| April 2024 | Tornado (EF1) | Butler | - | This tornado began just east of Route YY and just south of State Highway 52 southeast of Butler in Bates County, where minor tree damage was observed. The tornado strengthened as it moved east-northeast toward SH 52, snapping or uprooting several trees at a residence just south of the highway. The fallen trees were in a variety of directions, confirming the presence of a tornado. The tornado continued along the highway east past Route N, where power poles were damaged and additional minor tree damage was observed. The last signs of damage were just east of Route N, where small limbs were downed at a residence. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Social media photo of tree damage in Butler. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Public reported several tree limbs down. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | In a relatively isolated incident an otherwise sub-severe thunderstorm produced a significant downburst in the city of Butler. The damage was pretty confined to a small area, but that area appeared to be hit hard, especially as a TV antenna came down at an old abandoned station. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | This report was received via Facebook. A tree was snapped at the base and blew onto a nearby house. |
| July 2017 | Flood | Butler | - | Missouri HWY 52 was closed in both directions near Butler. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Half of a roof was blown off of a lumber yard building onto the nearby roadway. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | A trained spotter near Butler reported a measured 61 mph wind gust. |
| March 2015 | Hail | Butler | - | Dime to quarter size hail was reported but it was mostly quarter size. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated up to 60 mph, caused 6 to 12 inch diameter trees to be knocked down. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Tree branches up to 4 inches in diameter was blown down. Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated up to 60 mph. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Trees were reported down with power outages also reported. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Large trees were reported uprooted, with several tree limbs up to 8 inches in diameter broken off. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | Heavy rains caused flooding with a rooftop water rescue. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | High water rescue was reported 2 miles south of Highway 52. Nearly 6 feet of water was over gravel road. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | Numerous roads were closed in Butler due to the heavy rains. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | Heavy rains closed 52 Highway east of Highway 71, due to high water. |
| May 2007 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | Numerous roads in town impassable due to high water. |
| January 2005 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | South Main Street under water due to heavy rains. |
| June 2005 | Flash Flood | Butler | - | H Highway and Highway 52 closed due to high water. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | 10 inch tree limbs down. |
| May 2000 | Hail | Butler | - | Dime to golfball-size hail fell in the Butler area for more than 10 minutes. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | A large maple tree was blown down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | A transformer was destroyed and trees were downed. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | The Bates County Sheriff's Office reported a 60 MPH wind gust during a severe thunderstorm in Butler. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Severe thunderstorm winds were observed at 75 MPH in Butler. Several large trees were knocked down with the strong winds. In Rich Hill the thunderstorm winds knocked down power lines. The same severe thunderstorm produced dime-size hail as reported by the Rich Hill Police Department. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | Severe thunderstorms produced 60 mph wind gusts south of Butler. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | no account filed |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2005 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| March 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| October 2001 | Hail | Butler | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Butler | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monteith Junction | 3.6 miles | 14 | |
| Passaic | 4.5 miles | 15 | |
| Peru (historical) | 5.6 miles | 14 | |
| Cornland | 6.3 miles | 17 | |
| Athol | 6.5 miles | 17 | |
| Nyhart | 6.6 miles | 17 | |
| Virginia | 8.8 miles | 14 | |
| Adrian | 9.6 miles | 16 |
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 Butler | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q955151 | 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 715118. 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.







