BlockBefore

Nevada, Missouri

21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Center Township. It lies in ZIP code area 64772. It stands on Willow Branch. The Survey maps it on the Nevada quadrangle. 8,212 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 873 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Nevada within Vernon County

On record in Nevada

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 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Nevada fell from 8,386 to 8,212 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.

YearPeople Change
20108,386
20208,212-174 (-2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

13 surveys from 21 printed sheets

Matched 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.

In the county-history sources

1,488 words on this township

History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911 names this settlement in its chapter on Center Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

South of Nevada, and almost adjoining the town, most valu¬ able quarries of blue sandstone have been opened. The stone is well adapted for ornamental work of various kinds and much of it is in use in the asylum and in other buildings. It is but reasonable to conclude that this stone is to be found else¬ where, since the general variety to which it belongs (hydraulic sandstone) is frequently to be seen. There are numerous ex¬ posures of sandstone along the streams, notably on the western border of Nevada, on the Ft. Scott road.

Passage source: History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911.

Coal lias been found in the northwest quarter of the town¬ ship. The belief that natural gas exists under the surface near Nevada is not sufficiently general and strong as yet to induce speculative capitalists to bore for it. The greater portion of the coal consumed in Nevada is brought from other parts of the county. Near Nevada a gravel bed exists as a depth of sixteen feet, and that in this bed logs and sticks have been found in digging wells. South of Nevada, on Birch branch, is a good mineral spring.

Passage source: History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911.

The first actual settlers in Center township were John Hale and Jesse Anderson, who came directly from Pulaski county here in the fall of 1840. Hale located about three miles west and north of where is now the public square in Nevada, and Anderson built his cabin a little east of the southwest corner of the fair grounds. At the same time a man named Swearingen settled on the asylum grounds, his house standing a short dis¬ tance west of the site of the main building; he was from Inde¬ pendence, Jackson county. In a year or two Swearingen sold

Passage source: History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Center Township - it names this place 6 more 6 times.

Fires near this place

11 since 2003

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 11 fires within 5 miles of Nevada between 2003 and 2020, burning about 334 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined8
Debris and open burning2
Arson/incendiarism1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
21 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined118 acresMissouri Department of ConservationDEERFIELD
20 August 2003Debris and open burning10 acresMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
4 July 2003Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
21 July 2003Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
30 June 2003Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
27 May 2003Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMissouri State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
16 March 2015Debris and open burning200 acresMissouri Department of Conservation122116-10867-03162015-1640
11 March 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation122113-10867-03112015-1425

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Vernon County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Nevada: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Lead. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Prairie DiggingsLeadPast Producer
Unknown - Clay & ShaleClayPast Producer
Gilfillian QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Nevada Limestone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
White Rock Quarry and MillStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Vernon County

Storms near this place

60 of 142 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Nevada in 142 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 66 thunderstorm wind, 47 hail, 17 flash flood, 6 heavy rain. The reports record 9 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1995Tornado (F3)Nevada9 hurt, $7,000,000A tornado destroyed homes and buildings to the west of Nevada, then heavily damaged brick buildings within the city. The tornado weakened as it tracked east northeast towards Dederick, but was still strong enough to uproot trees and destroy outbuildings. Witnesses reported extremely heavy rain with the tornadoes passage. The 3M industrial plant on the east side of Nevada recorded an 107 mph wind with the event.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindNevada$75,000no account filed
July 2015Thunderstorm WindNevada$50,000A large tree fell into a house near Quail Road and Highway BB. The tree fell through the living room trapping a person in the home.
April 1994Thunderstorm WindNevada$50,000A warehouse at a furniture store was nearly demolished with an estimated $30,000 worth of damage. Numerous trees were also blown down along Highway 54.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindNevada$50,000no account filed
July 2015Thunderstorm WindNevada$25,000A large tree feel through a home near Quail Road and Highway BB about 2 miles south of Nevada.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindNevada$25,000no account filed
September 2010Flash FloodNevada$20,000A low water bridge was washed out at the intersection of Tally Bend Road and County Road 1700.
May 2002LightningNevada$18,000no account filed
June 2019Thunderstorm WindNevada$12,000Trees and power lines were reported down.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000Multiple trees down and roads blocked in Nevada, Missouri.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000A large tree was blown down on west Walnut Street in Nevada. Another tree fell on a house.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000Several power lines reported down on Cedar Street as the result of large, falling tree limbs.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000Several large tree limbs were reported down on power lines which caused temporary outages on the northwest side of the city.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down several trees and power lines near Nevada.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000Numerous power lines and trees were blown down from thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindNevada$10,000no account filed
May 2007Thunderstorm WindNevada$8,000Severe thunderstorm wind gusts damaged the roof of a frame home.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000Several large tree limbs and power lines were blown down across the northwestern portions of the city of Nevada.
April 2012Flash FloodNevada$5,000A section of Panama Road was washed out.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000A tree fell on a house.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000A tree fell on a house.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000Several trees and power lines were downed from thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000The Nevada Police Department reported 60 MPH wind gusts with power outages and trees down.
June 1994Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000The Eldorado Springs Police Department reported large trees down with wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. Skywarn spotters also reported windows blown out of house.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000no account filed
May 1999Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindNevada$5,000no account filed
August 1997Thunderstorm WindNevada$3,000Thunderstorm winds damaged two hangers at the Nevada Municipal Airport. Parts of a metal door were tore off of one and walls of another were damaged.
February 2012Thunderstorm WindNevada$2,000A Subway restaurant suffered minor damage in Nevada.
March 2017Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000A tracker trailer was blown off Interstate 49 near the Bellamy exit south of Nevada.
October 2017Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000A power line was blown down in Nevada. A pick up truck pulling a twenty foot trailer was blown off the road into the median about two miles south of Nevada.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000A highway sign was blown over and blocked Highway 54.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000A large elm tree and power line were blown down.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000A tree and powerline was downed.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindNevada$1,000Large limbs and power lines were blown down.
April 1994HailNevada$500no account filed
April 1994HailNevada$50no account filed
April 1994HailNevada$50no account filed
April 2026HailNevada-Hail up to ping pong balls in size were reported.
April 2026HailNevada-Hail to the size of hen eggs was reported.
April 2025HailNevada-Penny sized hail was reported.
May 2025Flash FloodNevada-Reports of flooding in Nevada.
May 2025Heavy RainNevada-Report of 4.82 inches of rainfall that occurred in the last 6 hours.
May 2025Heavy RainNevada-CoCoRaHS station measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 4.84 inches.
May 2025Heavy RainNevada-A Co-op observer measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 4.70 inches.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindNevada-Wind gust measuring 60 mph wind were recorded on a home weather station. Hail up to penny size was also reported.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindNevada-Several large 2-3 inch diameter branches were reported down.
April 2024FloodNevada-Heavy rainfall allowed the Marmaton River to impact Highway 54 for a time closing lanes of traffic.
August 2024Heavy RainNevada-The Mesonet station FW7458 in Nevada measured 2.07 inches of storm total rainfall.
May 2023HailNevada-Half dollar sized hail was reported in a mostly rural area.
May 2023HailNevada-Golf ball sized hail was reported in a mainly rural area.
May 2023HailNevada-Penny sized hail was reported.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindNevada-The Mesonet station at Monett recorded a wind gust of 60 mph.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindNevada-The AWOS at the Nevada airport recorded a 63 mph wind gust.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindNevada-The Mesonet station at the Nevada City Hall recorded a 74 mph wind gust.
April 2022HailNevada-Quarter sized hail was reported via social media.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindNevada-A tree was reported down over the road near the interchange of 1400 and Rebel Roads.
May 2019Heavy RainNevada-A co-op observer reported a 24-hr rainfall accumulation of 4.37 inches.

Every storm recorded in Vernon County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Nassau Junction2.2 miles21
Dean Ford3.4 miles20
Hong5.1 miles20
Ellis5.1 miles21
Bristow5.3 miles21
Milo6.3 miles21
Temple (historical)6.5 miles20
Moundville7.3 miles21

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 NevadaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q959584The 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 729934. 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.