Defiance, Ohio
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1907 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Defiance Township. It lies in ZIP code area 43512. It stands on Auglaize River. The Survey maps it on the Defiance East quadrangle. 17,066 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 676 feet above sea level.
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Population over time
3 figuresDefiance grew from 800 to 17,066 between 1850 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. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 800 | |
| 2010 | 16,494 | |
| 2020 | 17,066 | +572 (+3%) |
Then and now
1907 to 1986The same ground, surveyed 79 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


Topographic sheets covering this place
12 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.
- 1907 USGS Defiance quadrangle1:62500
- 1909 USGS Defiance quadrangle1:62500
- 1953 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1953 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1953 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1953 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Fort Wayne quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Defiance East quadrangle1:24000
- 1959 USGS Defiance East quadrangle1:24000
- 1959 USGS Defiance East quadrangle1:24000
- 1986 USGS Defiance quadrangle1:100000
Specimens collected nearby
12 of 392 shownMuseums hold 392 specimens collected within 10 miles of Defiance between 1858 and 1974: 379 Animalia, 9 Plantae, 4 Fungi. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by Angle, E. (Eric) & Trautman, M. B. (Milton Bernard), Angle, E. (Eric), Trautman, M. B. (Milton Bernard) & Hoschak, J. (John), Athearn, Herbert D. and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Cyclonaias tuberculata (Rafinesque, 1820) | 1908 | not recorded | Auglaize River, Defiance |
![]() | Gomphus spicatus Hagen, 1854 | 1945 | H. Price | Krill's Lake |
![]() | Trifolium subcaulescens A.Gray | 1858 | J. S. Newberry | Fort Defiance |
![]() | Moxostoma anisurum (Rafinesque, 1820) | 1860 | unknown | Brunersburg |
![]() | Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque, 1818) | 1860 | unknown | Brunersburg |
![]() | Megascops asio naevius | 1891 | J. O. Snyder | unspecified |
![]() | Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828) | 1892 | J. O. Snyder | unspecified |
![]() | Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) | 1892 | J. O. Snyder | unspecified |
![]() | Colinus virginianus virginianus (Linnaeus, 1758) | 1892 | J. O. Snyder | unspecified |
![]() | Dipsacus fullonum L. | 1892 | Collector(s): William Sayer Moffatt | Defiance |
![]() | Ammocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863) | 1893 | not recorded | Defiance, Ohio |
![]() | Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque, 1819 | 1893 | U.S. Fish Commission | DEFIANCE, OHIO |
All 392 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Mines and quarries nearby
1 within 5 milesThe federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Defiance: 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Iron. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Briquetting/ Defiance, Ohio | Iron | Unknown |
Storms nearby
53 since 1994The National Weather Service names Defiance in 53 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 37 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $125,000 | Emergency management officials reported several large trees were either uprooted or snapped in the city of Defiance. One of these trees fell onto a house on Washington Street, reportedly destroying the house. Another tree fell onto at least two parked car on Jefferson Avenue. No injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at $125,000. |
| June 2003 | Flash Flood | Defiance | $100,000 | A narrow band of thunderstorms continuously regenerated over parts of Defiance county during the morning. Estimates of 8 to 10 inches of rain fell in a 3 hour period. Emergency management reported flash flooding was most serious around Sherwood where roads were closed with 3 to 4 feet of water along Ohio Route 18 in and around Sherwood. Nearly 30 businesses and homes had some water into the first floor. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $50,000 | Several barns destroyed. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $30,000 | A barn in the Defiance area suffered roof damage, with another barn southeast of Defiance being destroyed. Damage values estimated. |
| December 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $30,000 | BARN ROOF BLOWN OFF AND BOAT WAS KNOCKED OVER BY THE STRONG WINDS. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $25,000 | SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. ONE CAR WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY A LARGE TREE LIMB. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $20,000 | The emergency manager reported that multiple trees and power poles were down in the city. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $20,000 | Several trees and tree limbs were down in and around Defiance. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $10,000 | Law enforcement officials reported a few trees were down onto power lines. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $10,000 | Emergency management reported minor roof damage to 7 homes in Defiance. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $10,000 | Power lines blown down. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $5,000 | Trees and power lines were reported down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $5,000 | Defiance County sheriff reported a few downed trees and power lines. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $5,000 | Trees were downed in Defaince. Large hail was reported in Hicksville. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $5,000 | Minor structural damage occurred to a home. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $3,000 | Trees and limbs were downed, some on power lines. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | $2,000 | Emergency management reported 2 barns with roofs partially taken off as well as trees down west of Defiance. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Defiance | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | A couple of large limbs down on Seneca Street. One fell onto a power line. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | A large tree limb downed across Euclid Avenue. Gas pump blew over on East 2nd Street. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Local law enforcement reported a tree was blown down onto Harding Road, between the city limits and Watson Road. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management officials reported some tree and power line damage. A light pole was snapped in half on East Second Street. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Multiple reports of trees down as well as power outages in Defiance with estimated wind speeds of 60 to 65 mph. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | County dispatch reported tree and power line damage across much of the county. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management officials reported a power pole was blown down onto a home on Adams Street. No injuries were reported. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | A trained spotter reported two inch diameter tree branches down onto two vehicles. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | County dispatch reported numerous trees were blown down in the city of Defiance. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management officials reported a few larger tree branches down throughout portions of the county. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Multiple trees downed. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management officials reported numerous trees and tree limbs were down in and around Defiance. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management reported numerous trees down in the city of Defiance. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Several large tree branches were blown down, blocking some roads. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Emergency management reported power lines down west of Defiance. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Defiance. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | Trees down. |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | One tree down. |
| June 1994 | Hail | Defiance | - | Large hails damaged some crops. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| November 2011 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | no account filed |
| October 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Defiance | - | 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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamstown | 0.6 miles | 12 | |
| North Town Estates | 1.1 miles | 12 | |
| Spring Meadows | 1.5 miles | 12 | |
| Millers Rolling Hills Estates | 1.7 miles | 12 | |
| Cooks Rolling Hills | 1.7 miles | 12 | |
| Brunersburg | 2.3 miles | 12 | |
| Independence | 3.1 miles | 12 | |
| Countryside Estates | 3.5 miles | 12 |
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 Defiance | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q651108 | 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 1064519. 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.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
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.























