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Potosi, Missouri

21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1906 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Breton Township. It lies in ZIP code area 63664. It stands on Bates Creek. The Survey maps it on the Potosi quadrangle. 2,538 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 879 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Potosi within Washington County

On record in Potosi

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

Potosi fell from 2,660 to 2,538 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
20102,660
20202,538-122 (-5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

14 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.

Fires near this place

153 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 153 fires within 5 miles of Potosi between 1992 and 2018, burning about 947 acres in total. None started naturally. 11 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined82
Debris and open burning55
Arson/incendiarism11
Smoking2
Equipment and vehicle use2
Railroad operations and maintenance1

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
24 September 2015Debris and open burningunder an acreMissouri Department of Conservation128791-11043-09242015-1506
24 September 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.5 acresMissouri Department of Conservation128792-11043-09242015-1214
22 September 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
9 August 1999Arson/incendiarism15 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
31 August 1999Missing data/not specified/undetermined9.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
1 August 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
2 July 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
7 May 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservation137652-11043-05072016-2152

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Washington County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 81 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 81 workings within 5 miles of Potosi: 74 past producers, 7 producers. 7 still produce. What was taken out: Barium-Barite, Lead, Lead, Zinc, Zinc, 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
Pierce and Willoughby's DiggingsBarium-Barite, LeadPast Producer
PotosiLead, Barium-Barite, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, IronPast Producer1763
Strawberry DiggingsLead, Zinc, Barium-BaritePast ProducerResidual
Wolf QuarryDolomite, Stone, Crushed/Broken, IronPast Producer
Krueger Zinc MineZinc, LeadPast Producer
Unknown - Lead and ZincZinc, LeadPast Producer
Unknown -Ba and PbLead, Barium-BaritePast Producer
Bee and Scott DiggingsLead, ZincPast Producer
Unknown - Lead and ZincLead, ZincPast Producer
Unknown-Lead and ZincLead, ZincPast Producer

Every working recorded in Washington County

Storms near this place

60 of 78 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Potosi in 78 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 50 hail, 19 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 2 flash flood. The reports record 7 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
October 2004Tornado (F1)Potosi7 hurtThe 1st in a series of 5 small tornadoes struck just northeast of Potosi along Highway 21. The Potosi Lumberyard was severely damaged. Seven people were injured with one kept overnight at a local hospital.
April 1993Tornado (F1)Potosi$500,000A small tornado initially touched down near the intersection of Highway P and State Road 8, damaging a door and windows of a large garage. The tornado then traveled across a city park damaging several trees, sections of a chain-linked fence, and several advertisement bill boards. Before lifting numerous trees were downed, several mobile homes were flipped, and minor roof damage was caused to a service station just east of the intersection of State Roads 8 and 21.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindPotosi$300Large trees and power lines were blown down just south of Potosi.
November 2024Heavy RainPotosi-A Cocorahs station 3.2 W Potosi measured 8.8 inches of storm total rainfall between November 4th and 5th.
August 2023Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines from Potosi to Mineral Point.
April 2015Tornado (EF1)Potosi-The tornado formed and caused damage on the west side of Potosi. Roof shingles were blown off several church buildings, trees were downed, and a mobile home used for storage was destroyed. The tornado moved east-southeast down High Street in Potosi causing roof damage to several businesses, downed trees, power lines and business signs. The tornado crossed Highway 21 and continued along Highway 8 causing tree damage in the Spring Town Road area. About a half mile east of the Potosi city limits the tornado destroyed a building at a saw mill along Highway 8. The tornado continued for about another half mile causing tree damage and then dissipated.
April 2015Flash FloodPotosi-Up to three inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding in Potosi. Mine A Breton Creek overflowed its banks in town onto Jefferson Street. Several water rescues had to be made in this area.
June 2011Flash FloodPotosi-Up to two inches of rain fell in a short amount of time causing flash flooding. Several roads were flooded including Highway E between Blackwell and Cadet.
January 2007FloodPotosi-Several inches of rain caused flooding of small creeks and streams and low-water crossings mainly across southern Washington County.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down some trees and power lines.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Several of the trees fell onto homes and businesses causing minor to moderate damage. Also, some roofs were partially blown off causing minor damage.
April 2005HailPotosi-A storm spotter reported 3/4 inch hail in Potosi.
April 2005HailPotosi-A storm spotter reported 1 inch hail in Potosi.
April 2005HailPotosi-Local law enforcement reported nickel size hail in Potosi.
May 2005HailPotosi-Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail in Potosi for several minutes.
November 2005Thunderstorm WindPotosi-The local newspaper reported some trees down in Potosi from thunderstorm winds.
November 2005Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Local law enforcement reported scattered trees down.
May 2004HailPotosi-The local fire department reported golfball size hail.
June 2004HailPotosi-Local law enforcement reported nickel size hail.
October 2004Tornado (F0)Potosi-The second tornado struck 1 mile northeast of Potosi along State Route E. One mobile home and a storage building were damaged. Several trees were either snapped off at the trunk or uprooted.
October 2004Tornado (F0)Potosi-The third tornado was first observed in an open field about 1.5 miles east northeast of Potosi. A few large trees were either uprooted or snapped off.
August 2004HailPotosi-A cooperative observer reported golfball size hail west of Potosi.
April 2003HailPotosi-Storm spotters reported 3/4 inch hail.
May 2003HailPotosi-Storm spotters reported golfball size hail south of Potosi.
May 2003Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Local law enforcement reported power lines down and transformers damaged.
March 2002HailPotosi-The public reported a brief period of golfball size hail in Potosi.
May 2002HailPotosi-Storm spotters reported nickel size hail in Potosi.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindPotosi-Thunderstorm wind gusts downed some trees and power lines in Potosi. At least 200 customers lost electric power.
October 2001Thunderstorm WindPotosi-The County Sheriff reported trees down along Highway 185.
April 1998HailPotosi-A severe storm spotter reported 3/4 inch hail.
May 1997HailPotosi-Skywarn spotters reported 3/4 inch hail.
May 1997HailPotosi-Skywarn spotters reported 1 inch hail.
May 1995HailPotosi-The county sheriff reported quarter-size hail.
April 1994HailPotosi-Reported by a county sheriff deputy.
March 2025HailPotosi-no account filed
June 2011HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2009HailPotosi-no account filed
June 2009HailPotosi-no account filed
August 2008HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2008HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2007HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2007HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2007HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
March 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
July 2006HailPotosi-no account filed
April 2005HailPotosi-no account filed
September 2005Thunderstorm WindPotosi-no account filed
May 2004HailPotosi-no account filed
May 2004HailPotosi-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Washington 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
Springtown1.7 miles21
Bates Creek Camp2.7 miles21
Frogtown3.2 miles21
Mineral Point3.4 miles20
Summit4.6 miles20
Fountain Farm4.6 miles20
Adelbert (historical)4.8 miles20
Latty4.9 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 PotosiAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q955174The 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 751729. 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.