Festus, Missouri
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1915 and the latest in 1985. It stands in River View Township. It lies in ZIP code area 63028. The Survey maps it on the Festus quadrangle. 12,706 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 427 feet above sea level.
On record in Festus
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
- Waggener Dairy Barnlisted 2022
Population over time
2 figuresFestus grew from 11,602 to 12,706 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 | 11,602 | |
| 2020 | 12,706 | +1,104 (+10%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 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.
- 1915 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 1949 USGS Crystal City quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1949 USGS Saint Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1949 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1964 USGS Festus quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1966 USGS St. Louis quadrangle1:250000
- 1985 USGS Festus quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
37 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 37 fires within 5 miles of Festus between 1997 and 2020, burning about 49 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 burning | 16 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 14 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 22 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 7 August 2020 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Illinois Division of Forestry Resources | 62220 |
| 30 June 2006 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 2 April 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.2 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 178419-05039-04022019-1627 |
| 14 April 2013 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.5 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 1 April 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 9 March 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 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 35 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 35 workings within 5 miles of Festus: 26 past producers, 8 producers, 1 plant. 9 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Lead, Silica, Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Herculaneum Smelter | Lead, Smelter | Plant | ||
| Crystal City Sand Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Silica | Producer | ||
| Selma Quarry Ls & Ss & Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay | Producer | ||
| Unknown - Lead & Zinc | Lead, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - S&G | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - S&G | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Festus Pit & Plant | Silica | Past Producer | ||
| Martin Marietta Sand Pit | Silica | Producer | ||
| Unimin Mine | Silica | Producer | ||
| Unimin Plant | Silica | Producer |
Storms near this place
43 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Festus in 43 storm reports between 1994 and 2023: 27 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning, 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 2001 | Lightning | Festus | $15,000 | Lightning struck the Danby-Rush Tower Middle School south of Festus causing considerable to the telephone system. The strike apparently came in through the telephone lines and and knocked out the computerized switchboard. Other parts of the computer system were also damaged. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Festus | $5,000 | County officials reported golf ball-size hail southwest of Festus. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Festus | $5,000 | The public reported golf ball-size hail but reported damage was minor, limited to mainly automobiles. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | Trained spotter reported an estimated 60 mph wind gust on I-55 just south of Exit 175. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees in a small residential area and throughout Sunset Park in Festus. Some siding was also removed from a home. Damage appears to be from a microburst. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and power lines, as well as numerous large tree limbs. |
| March 2006 | Tornado (F3) | Festus | - | The second Jefferson County tornado first formed about 9:42 pm CST about 8.5 miles south southeast of Festus, near Interstate 55 where it sheared off the tops of several trees. The tornado then hit a small subdivision on the east side of the highway destroying three homes. The tornado crossed Highway 61 and destroyed another home and caused one minor injury. The tornado continued northeast causing minor to moderate damage to homes and outbuildings. At it approached the Mississippi River, the tornado blew down two high power electric transmission towers. It then crossed the river into Monroe County Illinois. The Jefferson County portion of the tornado track was about 3.1 miles with a maximum width of 200 yards and a F3 rating. |
| March 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Festus | - | The first of three tornadoes from a supercell thunderstorm occurred about 9 miles south of Festus on the north side of Route TT were several trees were blown over. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Festus | - | Golfball sized hail was reported at the intersection of I-55 and Hwy 61. |
| August 2006 | Hail | Festus | - | Amateur radio spotters reported 1 inch hail. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed some large tree limbs and power lines. A couple of mobile homes at a mobile home sales lot were also damaged. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Festus | - | A mobile home at a mobile home sales lot was destroyed by a fire started by a lightning strike. A home nearby was also struck by lightning resulting in a fire in the attic causing extensive damage. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed some tree limbs resulting in power outages in Festus and surrounding areas. About 4000 people lost power for about 5 hours. |
| November 2005 | Lightning | Festus | - | A lightning strike knocked down a 12 foot section of a concrete block retaining wall at a home in rural Festus. The strike also damaged an electric transformer and the electrical systems of 3 homes in the area. |
| March 2003 | Hail | Festus | - | The Missouri Highway Patrol reported 1 inch hail. |
| May 1995 | Hail | Festus | - | Reported by local media and the county sheriff's department. |
| February 2023 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| October 2019 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | no account filed |
| November 2005 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Flash Flood | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| December 1996 | Hail | Festus | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Hail | Festus | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal City | 0.9 miles | 17 | |
| Ludwig | 1.6 miles | 17 | |
| Silica | 1.9 miles | 17 | |
| Bailey | 1.9 miles | 17 | |
| Munsons | 2.7 miles | 25 | |
| Donnell | 3.4 miles | 17 | |
| Herculaneum | 3.4 miles | 25 | |
| Horine | 3.5 miles | 25 |
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 Festus | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q966396 | 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 736296. 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.








