New Madrid, Missouri

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1939 and the latest in 1985. It stands in New Madrid Township. It lies in ZIP code area 63869. It stands on Saint Johns Bayou. The Survey maps it on the New Madrid quadrangle. 2,787 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 295 feet above sea level.

Research this city

New Madrid within New Madrid County

On record in New Madrid

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

Hunter-Dawson Houselisted 2012

Population over time

2 figures

New Madrid fell from 3,116 to 2,787 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	3,116
2020	2,787	-329 (-11%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 15 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.

1939 USGS New Madrid quadrangle1:62500
1951 USGS New Madrid SE quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
1954 USGS New Madrid quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
1956 USGS Dyersburg quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
1971 USGS New Madrid quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1973 USGS New Madrid quadrangle1:62500
1985 USGS Sikeston quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings

Fires near this place

2 since 2006

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of New Madrid between 2006 and 2017, burning about 58 acres in total. None started naturally. None 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/undetermined	1
Debris and open burning	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
8 January 2006	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	57 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
29 January 2017	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Missouri Department of Conservation	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in New Madrid County

Mines and quarries near this place

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of New Madrid: 6 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: 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.

Site	Commodity	Status
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Borrow Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in New Madrid County

Storms near this place

60 of 75 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names New Madrid in 75 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 39 flood, 17 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 4 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. 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 1997	Flash Flood	New Madrid	1 killed, 1 hurt, $6,000	no account filed
May 2011	Flood	New Madrid	$500,000	Record flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. At the New Madrid river gage, the flood crest of 48.35 feet on the night of May 5 broke the previous record (set in 1937) by a few inches. The levee protecting the city of New Madrid held the water back, but seepwater caused a number of problems. Many city streets were damaged in New Madrid, including the formation of sinkholes once the water receded. One home was damaged by the seepwater, with water about an inch deep. Some basements were flooded with seepwater. Outside the levee system, the sewer treatment plant for New Madrid was in danger of being flooded. Floodfighting efforts were effective in saving the plant. Interstate 55 was reduced to one lane in both directions at the St. Johns Bayou due to sandbagging operations.
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$50,000	On the south side of New Madrid along the Mississippi River riverfront, winds estimated near 85 mph caused the partial collapse of two large wood-frame metal sheds. There were also some tree branches down in the area. There was spotty wind damage elsewhere in New Madrid, including metal roofing blown off a house on the northwest side of town. All of this damage was caused by the same supercell storm that spawned the EF-2 tornado minutes later along the Mississippi River levee. There was spotty wind damage elsewhere in New Madrid, including metal roofing blown off a house on the northwest side of town.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$50,000	The roof was blown off one home, and there was shingle damage at another home. Trees and power lines were blown down. A tree fell on a mobile home, trapping a person inside for a short period of time.
May 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$50,000	Several trees and power lines were blown down and a roof was torn off a gas station in New Madrid. A mobile home was overturned in Howardville by high wind. Reported by the county sheriff office.
March 2019	Flood	New Madrid	$30,000	Moderate flooding continued on the Mississippi River from February. At the New Madrid river gage, the river crested at 42.99 feet on March 2. This crest was one of the five highest since the Flood of 1937, but it was several feet lower than the Flood of 2011. Flood stage is 34 feet. The impacts were mainly flooded agricultural fields, river access roads, and a couple of state highways outside the levee system. Since the crop season was not underway, the extensive field flooding caused little crop damage.
July 2019	Flood	New Madrid	$30,000	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River affected some cropland, as well as county roads near the river.
October 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$25,000	The roof of an old, vacant, dilapidated apartment building was damaged. Part of the roof was ripped off the one-story building, landing on the wall of a neighboring residence. Some branches were down elsewhere in the city.
May 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$25,000	Emergency management officials estimated 70 mph winds downed trees.
April 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$25,000	no account filed
April 2020	Flood	New Madrid	$20,000	Moderate flooding was observed on the Mississippi River. At the New Madrid gage, the river crested at 40.17 feet early on April 1. Flood stage there is 34 feet. Considerable flooding of low-lying fields and farmland occurred, in addition to some bottomland secondary roads.
January 2016	Flood	New Madrid	$20,000	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River continued into January. At the New Madrid river gage, the river crested at 43.05 feet on the 4th. Flood stage there is 34 feet. This flood was similar to the flood of March, 1997, when the river crested at 42.94 feet. There was considerable flooding of cropland unprotected by levees. Numerous county roads were flooded. The National Guard was deployed to a small part of the county for security purposes.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$17,000	Utility poles were blown over in at least two places.
June 2014	Tornado (EF1)	New Madrid	$10,000	The tornado moved southeast across the Mississippi River from extreme western Fulton County, Kentucky into extreme southeast New Madrid County, Missouri. Hundreds of trees were snapped. Corn fields were flattened. No structures were in the path of the tornado. Peak winds were estimated near 110 mph. The tornado then moved southeast into Lake County, Tennessee.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$10,000	Trees and power poles were down.
May 2017	Flood	New Madrid	$8,000	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. There was considerable flooding of low-lying cropland. Some county roads and riverside parks were inundated.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$7,000	Many trees and power lines were down. Some parts of the city were without power for 5 to 6 hours.
July 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$5,000	Trees were down on power lines.
March 2021	Flood	New Madrid	$5,000	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River caused inundation of some low-lying fields and farmland.
April 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$5,000	Numerous trees and power poles were down.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$5,000	Trees and power lines were down.
October 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$4,000	Two trees were blown down associated with a band of thunderstorms and heavy rain.
June 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	$500	A large tree branch was broken off.
February 2025	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding of city streets occurred in New Madrid.
August 2023	Flash Flood	New Madrid	-	Water was over portions of U.S. Highway 61 near New Madrid.
January 2020	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Low-lying fields and woods along the river were inundated.
March 2020	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. Low-lying fields and farmland near the river were inundated. The river was still rising at the end of the month.
May 2020	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River began on the last day of the month. The flooding was minor, consisting of flooded fields, low-lying access roads, and some riverside parkland. Some minor crop damage likely occurred.
April 2019	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Low-lying fields and woodlands in the flood plain were inundated. A few river access roads outside the levee system were flooded.
February 2019	Flood	New Madrid	-	Moderate flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. The river level was still rising at the end of the month. The impacts during February were mainly flooded agricultural fields and river access roads outside the levee system.
June 2019	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River affected some cropland, as well as county roads near the river.
May 2019	Flash Flood	New Madrid	-	Extensive flash flooding was reported in New Madrid. Water was over numerous roads, including U.S. Highway 61 in front of the high school. Two CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow) observers measured 7 to 7.5 inches of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 6 A.M. on the 30th.
May 2019	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding continued from April into late May along the Mississippi River. The flooding along this portion of the river (below the confluence with the Ohio River) was generally minor and shorter-lived than places to the north. The flood crest dampened out as it moved down the river, so that only minor flooding of low-lying woods and fields was observed. A few roads were flooded.
February 2018	Flood	New Madrid	-	Moderate flooding developed on the Mississippi River. There was extensive flooding of agricultural land, however most of the cropland was dormant during the winter. Some low-lying roads were affected. The river continued rising into March.
March 2018	Flood	New Madrid	-	Moderate flooding continued on the Mississippi River from late February. There was extensive flooding of agricultural land, however most of the cropland was dormant during the winter. Some low-lying roads were affected. At New Madrid, the river crested at 41.41 feet on the 5th. Flood stage there is 34 feet.
May 2018	Flood	New Madrid	-	Numerous streets in the city of New Madrid were blocked or closed due to standing water.
July 2015	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Mainly agricultural bottomland and surrounding low-lying areas were flooded.
March 2015	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. At the New Madrid river gage, the river crested at 35.72 feet on the 22nd. Flood stage is 34 feet. Bottomland fields in the river flood plain were underwater.
December 2015	Flood	New Madrid	-	The Mississippi River rose above flood stage late in the month, but the crest did not occur until early January. In December, there was flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands.
April 2014	Flood	New Madrid	-	Some roads remained underwater through the day following thunderstorms the previous night.
April 2013	Flood	New Madrid	-	The Mississippi River rose above flood stage in the New Madrid area. Bottomland fields were flooded. The river continued rising into early May.
May 2013	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding of the Mississippi River persisted through most of May in the New Madrid area. Bottomland fields were flooded.
December 2011	Heavy Rain	New Madrid	-	A total of 4.24 inches was reported by the co-operative observer.
June 2011	Flood	New Madrid	-	The Mississippi River fell below flood stage at New Madrid for the first time since April 19. The flooding in June was relatively very minor compared to the historic flooding in April and May. Levees protecting parts of the county were detonated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in early May. The levees were opened as part of the activation of the New Madrid Floodway. The floodway was opened to relieve pressure on levees along the lower Ohio River and parts of the Mississippi River. Some of the floodway land is located in New Madrid County. Flooding caused by the intentional levee breaks ended in June, allowing many residents to return to their property.
April 2011	Flood	New Madrid	-	Major flooding was in progress on the Mississippi River by the end of the month. The river continued rising into early May.
January 2010	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. At the New Madrid gage, the river crested at 34.44 feet on the 31st. Flood stage there is 34 feet. Some low-lying fields near the river were inundated. The river remained above flood stage into early February.
February 2010	Flood	New Madrid	-	At the New Madrid gage on the Mississippi, the river crested in late January. However, some bottomland fields and river access trails remained under water for the first couple days of February.
May 2010	Flood	New Madrid	-	Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near New Madrid. Mainly bottomland fields were affected. Highway 162 was closed in the river bottoms south of New Madrid.
December 2009	Flood	New Madrid	-	A few state roads were closed due to flooding, including sections of Routes D and E.
October 2009	Heavy Rain	New Madrid	-	Water was over a few roads. No closures were reported.
April 2008	Flood	New Madrid	-	Moderate flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. At New Madrid, the river remained above flood stage from mid March through late April. The crest in April was 40.72 feet on the 16th. Flood stage at New Madrid is 34 feet. Many low-lying areas were flooded, primarily farm fields. State Routes 162 and WW were closed in places near the river. Since planting season was not underway when flooding began, there was little if any crop damage.
January 2007	Flash Flood	New Madrid	-	Street flooding was reported in the city.
August 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	-	A co-operative observer reported several trees down and winds of at least 60 MPH.
October 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	New Madrid	-	Trees and large limbs were blown down.
May 1998	Hail	New Madrid	-	Hail from quarter to golf ball size fell for about ten minutes in New Madrid.
August 1998	Flood	New Madrid	-	A nearly stationary cluster of thunderstorms produced excessive rainfall over a small part of New Madrid County. The heaviest rainfall occurred just east of New Madrid in the New Madrid Bend area along the Mississippi River. However, amounts as high as 2 inches per hour in the city of New Madrid resulted in minor street flooding.
April 1994	Hail	New Madrid	-	Reported by the county sheriff.
March 2022	Flood	New Madrid	-	no account filed
March 2020	Flood	New Madrid	-	no account filed
February 2020	Flood	New Madrid	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in New Madrid 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.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Howardville	4.1 miles	15
Otis	4.4 miles	15
Ristine	4.4 miles	11
Cody (historical)	4.6 miles	15
Lilbourn	4.7 miles	15
North Lilbourn	5.0 miles	15
La Forge	5.9 miles	11
Sky	6.1 miles	11

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 New Madrid	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q963427	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 723282. 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.