BlockCape Girardeau, Missouri
21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1922 and the latest in 1993. It stands in Cape Girardeau Township. It lies in ZIP code area 63701. It stands on Sloan Creek. The Survey maps it on the Cape Girardeau quadrangle. 39,540 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 351 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Cape Girardeau
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 12 of 50 shown
Broadway and North Fountain Street Historic Districtlisted 2003
Broadway Commercial Historic Districtlisted 2016
Broadway Theatrelisted 2015
Broadway-Middle Commercial Historic Districtlisted 2007
Cape Girardeau Court of Common Pleaslisted 2010
Central High Schoollisted 2008
Dr. Jean Chapman Houselisted 2016
George Boardman Clark Houselisted 1994
Courthouse-Seminary Neighborhood Historic Districtlisted 2010
Erlbacher Buildingslisted 2009
Esquire Theaterlisted 2005
Fort Dlisted 2019
Population over time
2 figuresCape Girardeau grew from 37,941 to 39,540 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 | 37,941 | |
| 2020 | 39,540 | +1,599 (+4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
12 surveys from 21 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.
- 1922 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1924 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1950 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1964 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1967 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
- 1986 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:100000
- 1987 USGS Paducah quadrangle1:250000
- 1993 USGS Cape Girardeau quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
14 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 14 fires within 5 miles of Cape Girardeau between 1996 and 2018, burning about 152 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 | 6 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2006 | Debris and open burning | 2.5 acres | Shawnee National Forest | MUD PUPPY |
| 29 August 2017 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Shawnee National Forest | SEXTON CREEK |
| 4 July 1996 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 23 July 1996 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 8 May 2018 | Arson/incendiarism | 90 acres | Shawnee National Forest | REIMAN |
| 19 April 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 47 acres | Shawnee National Forest | REIMANN ROAD |
| 4 March 2017 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 31 March 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Shawnee National Forest | HIGHWAY 3 |
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 Cape Girardeau: 14 past producers, 6 producers. 6 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Silica. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette Clay Pit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Unknown Silica | Silica | Past Producer | ||
| Cape Giradeau Sand Co Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Dredge # 5 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Federal Mine | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Houck Stadium Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Marquette Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Oglesby Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Southeast Mo Stone Co Quarry & Plnt | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Unk | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 153 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Cape Girardeau in 153 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 57 thunderstorm wind, 29 hail, 27 flood, 16 flash 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Cape Girardeau | $200,000 | An EF1 tornado touched down initially at the Cape Splash Aquatic Center, where it did some damage to overhead umbrella structures and a few trees. It continued east across Kingshighway St and into neighborhoods of northern Cape Girardeau. Numerous trees were damaged including some that were snapped or uprooted. Several homes experienced minor roof or siding damage. The tornado appeared to lift along or just east of Oak Hill Street. Peak winds were 95 mph and max width was 150 yards. |
| June 2013 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $200,000 | Flash flooding occurred at numerous major intersections throughout the city. Numerous vehicles were stranded on flooded streets, including at least one that floated away. A vehicle with several occupants nosedived into a creek. All the occupants were rescued safely. A total of 16 to 20 emergency responses were for flooded vehicles. One man was swept into a ditch but was unharmed. The Westerior/Silver Spring area was hardest hit by the flash flooding. An arena was flooded. At least several homes sustained some water damage. Rainfall rates were measured at nearly one inch per 30 minutes. Slow-moving thunderstorms trained northward across the city. |
| October 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $150,000 | A National Weather Service damage survey indicated winds up to 95 mph occurred in a microburst over the south side of the city of Cape Girardeau. Dozens of trees, tree limbs, and some power lines were blown down. Downed trees closed a major intersection. There was mostly minor damage to several homes, including loss of shingles. The metal roof of a commercial building was peeled back. Traffic was slowed on Interstate 55 due to tree debris. A tractor-trailer rig was rolled over on Interstate 55 near the 96 mile marker. Except for a few downed branches, all of the damage was south of the downtown area and Shawnee Parkway (Highways 34 and 74). The average path width was a mile and one-quarter. The path length was 3.5 miles. |
| October 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $150,000 | Numerous trees were blown down from just south of Delta to the Cape Girardeau city limits. At least one tree fell against a house, and a tree limb fell on a roof. A trained spotter estimated a 60 mph wind gust 1 mile northeast of Cape Girardeau. In the city of Cape Girardeau, numerous trees and power lines were down in the northwest section of the city. Trees landed on sheds, garages, and a vehicle. Cleanup was expected to take several days. About 6,400 customers in Cape Girardeau were without power at the peak of the outage. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Cape Girardeau | $100,000 | Ping-pong to tennis-ball size hail was reported across the city, including the downtown area. Vehicles were dented. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $100,000 | The siding was blown off a house. Numerous large trees were blown down, some onto houses. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $90,000 | There was major roof damage to a high school on the city limits. The hvac unit was blown off the roof. A 30-by-120 foot section of roof was peeled off down to the rafters. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $60,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, blocking roads and damaging houses. A trained spotter estimated gusts around 60 mph. Power outages affected more than 5,000 customers in the county. |
| June 2020 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | Widespread street flooding occurred in Cape Girardeau. In some low-lying areas, the water was three feet deep. Water was above the tire levels on parked cars. A nursing home was nearly inundated. A rainfall amount of 3.25 inches was measured at Southeast Missouri State University. |
| April 2013 | Flood | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River in the Cape Girardeau area. The river crested at Cape Girardeau very near 42 feet, which is the threshold for major flooding. Many homes in the Cape Girardeau area were affected, and evacuations were required. Over 100,000 acres were flooded. Numerous roads were closed. Most of the affected houses were in rural areas of Cape Girardeau County along tributary creeks that were swollen by Mississippi River backwater. The city of Cape Girardeau is protected by floodwalls and levees. The community of Dutchtown, located along a diversion channel, was threatened by backwater flooding. Volunteers at a staging area filled about 7,000 sandbags to construct a temporary levee on Highway 74 to protect Dutchtown. Dutchtown was flooded severely in the historic flood of 2011. The Mississippi River flooding continued into early May. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | Wind gusts that were estimated near 70 mph bent a flag pole. Numerous tree limbs were blown down, including a large limb on power lines. A few trees fell across homes. Power was knocked out to about 2,500 utility customers. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | Numerous trees were blown down in a concentrated area between Jackson and Cape Girardeau. There were no injuries. Several roofs and a boat were damaged in the storm. |
| September 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | Channel 12, KFVS weatherman reported wind gusts of 76 mph entering the west edge of the city. |
| July 2001 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $50,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $45,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines. One tree landed on a house and another on a vehicle. The damage was mainly on the south end of the city. |
| May 2016 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $40,000 | Widespread flash flooding of streets occurred in the city of Cape Girardeau. Emergency crews responded to at least one water rescue. The Cape Girardeau Fire Department reported there were several roads with 18 inches to three feet of water on them, including roads that normally do not flood. Police advised residents to stay off the streets. At Southeast Missouri State University, some campus buildings experienced flooding issues. Power was out in a campus building due to the water. At the Cape Girardeau airport, the automated rain gage measured 1.65 inches in 30 minutes. Slightly over three inches fell in one hour. Widespread street flooding also occurred in Delta. In the southwest corner of the county, water was over Highway NN just off Highway 25. Near Gordonville, County Road 226 was closed just west of Highway 25 due to a pipe washed out from under the road. Water was over some other county roads. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $40,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down at least 17 trees in the city, damaging two vehicles and a house. City officials received 75 requests for help to remove trees and limbs from streets and yards. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. A trained spotter estimated winds gusted from 60 to 65 mph. Over a thousand customers were without power in southern Cape Girardeau County. |
| August 2016 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Numerous streets were flooded and impassable in the city of Cape Girardeau. There were several water rescues of stranded motorists. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Trees were downed in the city. Over 2,400 utility customers were without power around the county. |
| October 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Several large branches and trees were blown down. At least a couple of trees landed on houses, and a few others landed on roads. A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to at least 60 mph. The damaging storm crossed the Mississippi River into Alexander County, Illinois. |
| June 2011 | Flood | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | The Mississippi River remained above flood stage through the month of June. At the Cape Girardeau river gage, there were two separate crests. The river crested at 38.35 feet on the 1st and at 38.40 feet on the 23rd. Both of these crests represented moderate flooding. The flooding in June was considerably less severe than the preceding two months. A couple of flood gates were closed in the Cape Girardeau floodwall. Some low-lying fields, parks, and river access roads were flooded. |
| June 2008 | Heavy Rain | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Several blocks of downtown Cape Girardeau flooded with up to four feet of water after a lightning strike knocked out power to storm water pumps. Water was up to two feet deep in a historic restaurant. The pumps are used to keep the downtown commercial district dry when the Mississippi River is above flood stage. Storm water does not freely drain into the river when it is above flood stage. |
| May 2002 | Lightning | Cape Girardeau | $20,000 | Lightning struck a house, causing a fire that destroyed it. Two dogs in the house died in the fire. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $15,000 | Numerous streets were flooded. Water was up to car doors near a city street intersection just southwest of Southeast Missouri State University. On the northeast side of Cape Girardeau, a trained spotter measured 3.5 inches in 4 hours, including 1.5 inches in 90 minutes. |
| June 2007 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $15,000 | Major flooding of several intersections occurred. At least four cars were in water up to the windows. About 15 flooded areas were reported in the city. Most of the vehicles caught in the water were towed. The flooding occurred on city streets in northern parts of the city of Cape Girardeau. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | As a thunderstorm moved through from northwest to southeast, a tree was downed on Grandview Drive. Additionally, roof damage occurred on a restaurant on S. Silver Springs Road. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Downed trees were reported in the city. |
| March 2012 | Tornado (EF0) | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | The tornado touched down on the north side of downtown Cape Girardeau just west of the river. Several homes had minor roof (primarily shingles) and siding damage. A manhole cover was lofted and blown into a metal fence. Several smaller trees were snapped. Peak winds were estimated at 85 mph. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Trees were blown down throughout the city. |
| July 2009 | Lightning | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Lightning struck the building that houses control equipment at an electrical substation. Power was interrupted for about 3,600 customers for two to three hours. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were brought down. A trained spotter estimated winds gusted to 60 mph. |
| August 2006 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Widespread flooding of streets occurred, prompting the closures of 26 streets or intersections. Floodwaters reached the hood of an SUV on Whitener Street. The police department responded to 38 traffic assistance or accident calls in two and a half hours. A number of motorists were stranded in rising water. Water covered a small section of Interstate 55. Unofficial rainfall measurements from public works employees indicated 2.7 inches fell in two hours. Much less rain fell at nearby Cape Girardeau airport, located south of the city. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | Numerous trees and limbs were blown down. About 7,000 utility customers lost power. A number of streets were blocked by downed trees. |
| May 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $9,000 | A power pole and power lines were down in the Red Star neighborhood of Cape Girardeau. A tree was down across a road in the Cape Rock area, a few miles northeast of the city. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $6,000 | About a half-dozen trees were down in Cape Girardeau, mainly near the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $6,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down, knocking out power to more than 1,000 electric customers. The city fire department responded to 12 calls of downed power lines during the storm. The peak wind gust at the Cape Girardeau airport, south of the city, was 50 MPH. Estimated higher gusts occurred in the city. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $6,000 | Trees were down on Route W north of Cape Girardeau, bringing a power line down. In the northwest corner of the county, trees were down in the vicinity of Friedheim. Fallen power lines were reported in Gordonville. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Trees were reported down around Cape Girardeau, including a tree that fell onto a house. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Several trees were blown down on the west side of Cape Girardeau. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Several trees were blown down. |
| August 2015 | Heavy Rain | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Torrential rain caused a street along the Mississippi River to become flooded. Several cars stalled in the floodwater. Police blocked the street for about 30 minutes. The side street was next to the river campus of Southeast Missouri State University. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Numerous tree limbs were blown down across the city of Cape Girardeau. One large tree was down. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Trees and power lines were down on a city street. |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | A spotter measured a wind gust to 62 MPH. Two small travel trailers were blown over. One person was trapped inside but not injured. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | A tree fell on a house on the south side of Cape Girardeau. Two large tree limbs fell across streets, blocking traffic. |
| April 1998 | Flash Flood | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall flooded streets. Cape Girardeau Police reported several city roads were flooded. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | More than 2,000 customers were without power after strong thunderstorm winds swept across the county. A utility pole was toppled by high winds. Trees were downed at scattered locations. |
| September 1993 | Hail | Cape Girardeau | $5,000 | Cape Girardeau County officials reported 0.75-inch diameter hail. Trees and power poles were knocked down and windows were blown out. Roofs of some homes and businesses in Cape Girardeau also suffered damage. The county sheriff reported golfball-size hail along Interstate 55. |
| December 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $4,000 | Several tree limbs were blown down in Cape Girardeau. In Whitewater, a carport was tossed onto a house. |
| June 2011 | Heavy Rain | Cape Girardeau | $4,000 | Street flooding occurred. At least one vehicle was stranded in floodwaters. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $4,000 | Several trees and power lines were blown down. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | Multiple trees were uprooted, while others lost branches, at Southeast Missouri State University campus. |
| January 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | A tree was blown down on a house. |
| March 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | Roughly 800 customers in the Cape Girardeau area were without power due to high winds, primarily west of Interstate 55. |
| July 2011 | Flood | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | The Mississippi River finally fell below flood stage for the first time since April 20. At the Cape Girardeau river gage, the highest level (or crest) in July was 38.89 feet on the 5th. This crest represented moderate flooding. The flooding in July was considerably less severe than the preceding three months. A couple of flood gates were closed in the Cape Girardeau floodwall. Some low-lying fields, parks, and river access roads were flooded. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | A wind gust of 58 mph was measured at a television station in Cape Girardeau. Trees were down in the Jackson and Gordonville areas. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Cape Girardeau | $3,000 | Several trees were blown down on power lines in Fruitland. About a mile northeast of Cape Girardeau, four-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down by winds estimated near 58 MPH. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | 0.8 miles | 21 | |
| Elmwood (historical) | 5.0 miles | 21 | |
| Nash | 7.1 miles | 21 | |
| Egypt Mills | 7.4 miles | 25 | |
| Dutchtown | 8.4 miles | 19 | |
| Bainbridge | 8.4 miles | 25 | |
| Gordonville | 8.5 miles | 19 | |
| Cedar Cliffs | 8.7 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 Cape Girardeau | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q866294 | 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 731549. 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.