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Willard, Missouri

21 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1884 and the latest in 1982. It stands in Murray Township. It lies in ZIP code area 65781. The Survey maps it on the Willard quadrangle. 6,344 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,237 feet above sea level.

Willard within Greene County

Population over time

2 figures

Willard grew from 5,288 to 6,344 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
20105,288
20206,344+1,056 (+20%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 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

46 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 46 fires within 5 miles of Willard between 1993 and 2020, burning about 439 acres in total. None started naturally. 3 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 burning26
Missing data/not specified/undetermined9
Smoking5
Arson/incendiarism3
Equipment and vehicle use2
Misuse of fire by a minor1

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
8 September 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
7 September 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
7 September 2011Debris and open burning1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
6 September 2011Arson/incendiarism13 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
6 September 2011Debris and open burning15 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
4 September 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named
27 September 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.2 acresMissouri Department of Conservation230727-03905-09272020-1350
10 September 2011Debris and open burning5.0 acresMissouri Department of Conservationnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Greene County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 14 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Willard: 12 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Iron, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Clutter MineClay, IronPast Producer
Kelso ShaftClayPast Producer
Conco QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Graystone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
UnknownStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Jennings BankIronPast Producer
Noble MineIronPast Producer
Pollack MineIronPast Producer

Every working recorded in Greene County

Storms near this place

60 of 63 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Willard in 63 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 30 thunderstorm wind, 28 hail, 2 flash flood, 1 lightning. The reports record 4 deaths. 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
August 2002LightningWillard4 killedno account filed
April 2019Thunderstorm WindWillard$40,000A path of up to 70 mph straight line wind damage occurred along and south of Farm Road 68 that continued into the northern parts of Willard. Multiple trees and power lines were downed. This damage was located on the southern(right) flank of the tornadic circulation that produce an EF-1 QLCS tornado from two miles northwest of Willard, Missouri to two miles north of Willard.
October 2012Tornado (EF0)Willard$25,000A brief EF-0 tornado with winds estimated up to 80 mph touched down in a rural neighborhood on the southwest side of Willard off State Highway AB and Farm Road 94. Several trees and large limbs were blown down in all directions. Several houses had minor roof and siding damage. A large wooden deck was picked up and moved from its original place.
December 2017Thunderstorm WindWillard$10,000A NWS storm survey revealed that straight line winds between 75 and 80 mph damaged multiple trees, ripped shingles off several homes, and damaged a pole barn on the southwest side of Willard.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindWillard$10,000Several large trees were blown down around Willard. Trees were down at Highway Ab and Highway 112 and at Highway 101 and Highway 106. Several fences were damaged by fallen trees.
November 1995HailWillard$10,000Hail, up to the size of tennis balls, was reported across several locations around Springfield, along with the surrounding counties. In Willard, tennis ball-size hail broke automobile windows and damaged roofs.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindWillard$5,000Power lines were blown down at the intersection of Highway 79 and Highway 94.
October 2024Thunderstorm WindWillard$3,000A large limb was reported down on a power line causing localized power outages.
August 1999Thunderstorm WindWillard$3,000no account filed
June 2024Thunderstorm WindWillard$2,000A tree was downed and knocked over powerlines west of Willard.
December 2017Thunderstorm WindWillard$2,000Several power lines were blown down.
December 2017Thunderstorm WindWillard$1,000There was damage to a barn.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindWillard$1,000no account filed
April 1994HailWillard$500no account filed
April 2025HailWillard-Quarter sized hail was reported.
April 2025HailWillard-Quarter sized hail was reported.
September 2025HailWillard-A social media picture showed hail to the size of quarters in Willard.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindWillard-A NWS Employee measured a 56 knot wind gust.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindWillard-Several trees were reported down in town.
April 2022HailWillard-Half dollar sized hail was reported.
February 2019HailWillard-Multiple reports were received of dime size hail with one report of quarter size hail in Willard.
October 2019Heavy RainWillard-The CoCoRaHS station mo-gr-81 near Willard reported 3.30 inches of rainfall.
September 2018Thunderstorm WindWillard-A large 6-8 inch diameter tree branch was broken off a tree near the intersection of Knight Street and Howard Street in Willard. The report was received via social media.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindWillard-The Emergency Manager reported that multiple trees and limbs were down around Willard.
April 2017Thunderstorm WindWillard-Several large tree limbs were blown down on Highway AB and Southview Road in Willard.
August 2016Flash FloodWillard-Excessive rainfall caused flash flooding over a section of Farm Road 105 just south of the intersection with Farm Road 44. This report was reported by KSPR meteorologist.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindWillard-Small tree limbs were blown down at Highway 123 and Farm Road 42 in northern Greene County.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindWillard-A tree was down at the intersection of Farmer and Cherry Street.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindWillard-A ham radio operator reported the wind gust though no damage was observed.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindWillard-Several limbs were blown down from thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWillard-Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a few limbs in Willard.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindWillard-Debris was thrown into a window of a house.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindWillard-Thunderstorms downed numerous trees along Highway O.
November 2004Flash FloodWillard-Heavy rain caused a small creek to rapidly flood over a section of New Mellville Road in Willard. Numerous other locations across Greene County were also inundated with small stream flooding.
May 2017HailWillard-no account filed
July 2015HailWillard-no account filed
May 2013HailWillard-no account filed
April 2012HailWillard-no account filed
May 2012HailWillard-no account filed
November 2010HailWillard-no account filed
July 2010HailWillard-no account filed
March 2009Thunderstorm WindWillard-no account filed
March 2009Thunderstorm WindWillard-no account filed
June 2008HailWillard-no account filed
June 2008HailWillard-no account filed
June 2008HailWillard-no account filed
June 2008HailWillard-no account filed
March 2006HailWillard-no account filed
May 2006HailWillard-no account filed
May 2006HailWillard-no account filed
August 2005Thunderstorm WindWillard-no account filed
March 2004HailWillard-no account filed
May 2004Thunderstorm WindWillard-no account filed
May 2004HailWillard-no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindWillard-no account filed
July 2003HailWillard-no account filed
December 2002HailWillard-no account filed
December 2002HailWillard-no account filed
May 2002HailWillard-no account filed
May 2002HailWillard-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Greene 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
Hackney3.3 miles21
Cave Spring3.7 miles21
Ritter3.7 miles21
Pearl4.5 miles21
Elwood5.3 miles21
Bois D'Arc5.4 miles16
Glidewell5.4 miles20
Sacville6.1 miles17

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 WillardAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q953647The 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 735917. 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.