Licking, Missouri
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1949 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Sherrill Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65542. The Survey maps it on the Licking quadrangle. 2,851 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,263 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresLicking fell from 3,124 to 2,851 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 | 3,124 | |
| 2020 | 2,851 | -273 (-9%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
12 surveys from 18 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.
- 1949 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1951 USGS Licking quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1951 USGS Raymondville quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1953 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1954 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
- 1986 USGS Spring Valley quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1989 USGS Rolla quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
46 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 46 fires within 5 miles of Licking between 1992 and 2002, burning about 670 acres in total. None started naturally. 14 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 | 26 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 14 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 10 September 2001 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 14 July 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 4 June 1997 | Debris and open burning | 20 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 2 May 2000 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 1 May 1998 | Debris and open burning | 3.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 8 April 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 35 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
| 7 April 1998 | Arson/incendiarism | 131 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Licking: 7 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Iron, Clay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown - Clay | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Gerrard Prospect | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Licking Mine | Iron | Past Producer | ||
| Hamilton Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Martin Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Seth Smith Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Ls | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
57 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Licking in 57 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 28 hail, 18 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 2 flood. The reports record 1 death. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2008 | Flood | Licking | 1 killed, $10,000 | Widespread flooding occurred over Texas County. A section of Highway BB one quarter mile east of the bridge over the Big Piney River became flooded and impassable to motorists. A 53 year old man was killed after his car was swept off of Highway BB. An investigation concluded that the man may not have observed the flooding prior to driving into it. Visibilities were reduced due to heavy snow. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $300,000 | no account filed |
| October 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Licking | $90,000 | A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down about 2 miles west of Licking and tracked to the north-northeast before lifting 4 miles north-northwest of Licking. The tornado was on the ground for 6 minutes, with a path length of 1.1 miles a width of 450 yards and maximum wind speeds of 95 mph. Dozens of trees were broken or uprooted along the path. Several homes and outbuildings received minor damaged and a mobile home was overturned. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $80,000 | Two large oak tees were downed by high winds. Winds also removed shingles and caused minor roof damage to several homes. |
| September 2008 | Flash Flood | Licking | $50,000 | Two to four inches of rain fell over Texas County resulting in flooding in some areas. The Big Piney River appeared to be impacted the greatest flooding several low lying roads and low water crossings. The city of Cabool experienced flash flooding on numerous city streets. All of this flooding resulted in several miles of road damage along with two bridges that were washed out. |
| March 2008 | Hail | Licking | $25,000 | Golf ball sized hail damaged house siding, cars, and a trailer. |
| April 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $20,000 | Several trees and power lines were reported down. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $12,000 | A large pole barn had significant damage from strong straight line winds. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $12,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged electrical lines in northeast Texas County near Licking. |
| June 2018 | Hail | Licking | $8,000 | Tennis ball size hail was reported east of Licking along Highway 32 in a generally rural area. Roof damage to a home occurred. The report was received via social media and the time was estimated via radar. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $5,000 | The county sheriff reported building damage and trees down. |
| May 1996 | Hail | Licking | $2,000 | no account filed |
| October 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $1,000 | Power lines were reported blown down on the east side of town. |
| April 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | $500 | A trampoline was lofted into trees and damaged. The report was obtained via social media. |
| September 2024 | Heavy Rain | Licking | - | A 24 hour rainfall total of 3.80 inches fell in Licking. This rainfall fell during the period of September 22 and September 23. |
| November 2024 | Flood | Licking | - | Highway VV near Licking was reported to be flooded due to heavy rainfall. |
| May 2022 | Hail | Licking | - | Quarter sized hail was reported. |
| July 2019 | Heavy Rain | Licking | - | A 24 hour rainfall of 3.75 inches was measured. |
| October 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | A tree was reported blown down and blocked Scott Street. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | Several trees were blown down on Highway 32 near the Dent and Texas County line. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Licking | - | High water entered houses in Licking due to flash flooding on 32nd Street. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | Law enforcement estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| September 2009 | Flash Flood | Licking | - | Flash flooding was reported in Licking. |
| February 2008 | Flash Flood | Licking | - | A section of Highway M three miles east of Highway AH experienced flash flooding. |
| March 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Licking | - | A National Weather Service storm survey revealed that a weak tornado briefly touched down in an open field south of Licking. No damage occurred from the tornado. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few trees along Shaffer Road. |
| October 2016 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 2014 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| August 2012 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 2008 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Flash Flood | Licking | - | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| February 1999 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Licking | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Hail | Licking | - | no account filed |
| November 1995 | Hail | Licking | - | 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 Licking | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q962674 | 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 735692. 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.











