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Decorative drawing: a small American settlement seen from a low hill. Not a photograph of this place.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

37 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1997. It stands in Pittsfield City. It lies in ZIP code area 01201. It stands on Onota Brook. The Survey maps it on the Pittsfield East quadrangle. 43,927 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,040 feet above sea level.

Research this city

This curated hub for Berkshire County, Massachusetts brings together the page's documented record links, visible map or image evidence where published, and routes to related local records.

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Pittsfield within Berkshire County

Population over time

3 figures

Pittsfield grew from 1,992 to 43,927 between 1790 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.

YearPeople Change
17901,992
201044,737
202043,927-810 (-2%)

Then and now

1886 to 1997

The same ground, surveyed 111 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Pittsfield, surveyed 1997
Topographic sheet of Pittsfield, surveyed 1886

Topographic sheets covering this place

37 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.

Photographs

3 photographs, 1937

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Business street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Largest town in the Berkshires between Canaan, Connecticut, and Pittsfield
Business street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Largest town in the Berkshires between Canaan, Connecticut, and Pittsfield
Locke, Edwin, photographer, 1937. Library of Congress
Peace Party House, East Street & Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA
Peace Party House, East Street & Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA
Unattributed, . Library of Congress
Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA
Arrowhead, 780 Holmes Road, Pittsfield, Berkshire County, MA
Unattributed, . Library of Congress

Fires nearby

118 since 2002

The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 118 fires within 5 miles of Pittsfield between 2002 and 2020, burning about 82 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 2 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 burning67
Recreation and ceremony17
Smoking7
Railroad operations and maintenance7
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Equipment and vehicle use4
Misuse of fire by a minor4
Arson/incendiarism2
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Natural1
Other causes1
Fireworks1

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
7 September 2016Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
1 September 2016Other causesunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
29 August 2017Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
21 August 2002Smokingunder an acreMassachussetts State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
4 July 2018Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
4 July 2018Fireworksunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
29 July 2015Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
20 July 2016Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Berkshire County

Specimens collected nearby

12 of 983 shown

Museums hold 983 specimens collected within 10 miles of Pittsfield between 1835 and 1975: 463 Plantae, 327 Animalia, 189 Fungi, 4 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. H. Mead, A. K. Harrison, A. K. Harrison, Florence 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 SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Bombus ternarius Say, 1837Bombus ternarius Say, 18371898[Not Stated]Hinsdale
Specimen of Potamogeton pusillus subsp. tenuissimus (Mert. & W.D.J.Koch) K.Richt.Potamogeton pusillus subsp. tenuissimus (Mert. & W.D.J.Koch) K.Richt.1900P. B. Weatherbee
A photograph of the species Persicaria amphibia, not of this specimenPersicaria amphibia (L.) Delarbre1835C. A. ShurtleffPittsfield
A photograph of the species Solidago patula, not of this specimenSolidago patula Muhl. ex Willd.1858Brewer; Chickering
A photograph of the species Hypnum pallescens, not of this specimenHypnum pallescens (Hedw.) P.Beauv.1866not recordedMts. of [New] Lebanon
A photograph of the species Platyhypnidium riparioides, not of this specimenPlatyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw.) Dixon1866not recordedMts. of New Lebanon
A photograph of the species Homalia jamesii, not of this specimenHomalia jamesii Schimp.1867unknownWaconah Falls State Park
A photograph of the species Homalia trichomanoides, not of this specimenHomalia trichomanoides (Hedw.) Schimp.1867E. C. Howe
A photograph of the species Potentilla fruticosa, not of this specimenPotentilla fruticosa L.1868Redfield, J.H.Pittsfield
A photograph of the species Asplenium rhizophyllum, not of this specimenAsplenium rhizophyllum L.1871Faxon, W.Lenox
A photograph of the species Dendroica petechia, not of this specimenDendroica petechia aestiva (J.F.Gmelin, 1789)1896Benjamin HoagStephentown, Garfield
A photograph of the species Archilochus colubris, not of this specimenArchilochus colubris (Linnaeus, 1758)1897Hoag, BStephentown

All 983 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries nearby

10 of 13 shown

The federal mineral resources record lists 13 workings within 5 miles of Pittsfield: 7 past producers, 4 producers, 1 unknown, 1 occurrence. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Colby MineIronPast ProducerResidual
Colby MineIronProducer1856
Colby MineIronOccurrence
Shaker MineIronPast ProducerLimonite
Shaker MineIronPast ProducerResidual
Shaker MineIronPast Producer
Berkshire PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dalton Pit /Genrl Sand & StoneSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dalton PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
General Sand and Stone PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Berkshire County

Storms nearby

60 of 98 shown

The National Weather Service names Pittsfield in 98 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 64 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 13 flash flood, 3 flood. The reports record 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1995Thunderstorm WindPittsfield1 hurtno account filed
May 2000Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$101,000no account filed
July 2001Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$31,000no account filed
June 2000Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$31,000no account filed
August 2004Tornado (F0)Pittsfield$25,000Survey team observed several structures with shingle damage to roofs. Many limbs and several trees were knocked down. Upon observation these trees were determined to be shallow rooted. Roofs dislodged from clubhouse and dugout of Waconah Park baseball stadium. Eyewitnesses with various vantage points reported observing rotating debris consistent with a tornado. Additional reports indicate a portion of the fencing at Waconah Park was also knocked down, and bleachers along the left field were pushed backward. In addition, trees and wires were downed on Tyler Street and Woodlawn Avenue, and two moored motor boats at Burbank Park were flipped over and partially submerged. There was also a report of a tree falling on a house on Charles Street. Top winds estimated at 70 mph.
December 2000Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$25,000no account filed
December 2000Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$15,000no account filed
May 1999Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$12,000A line of thunderstorms, that developed over eastern New York, moved into southern Berkshire county shortly after noon on May 25. This line of storms continued to produce strong gusty winds that brought numerous large trees and power lines down throughout the city of Pittsfield.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$12,000no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$10,000no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$10,000no account filed
May 1998HailPittsfield$8,000no account filed
July 1998Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$5,000A cold front moving east into Berkshire County triggered widely scattered severe thunderstorms. The storms brought down large limbs and power lines in the town of Pittsfield.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$5,000no account filed
June 2000Flash FloodPittsfield$3,000no account filed
June 1996HailPittsfield$3,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$2,000no account filed
May 1997HailPittsfield$2,000no account filed
August 1996HailPittsfield$2,000no account filed
August 2017Flash FloodPittsfield$1,000The eastbound side of East Housatonic Street was closed to traffic. A sewer cover was popped off.
August 2017Flash FloodPittsfield$1,000North Street was flooded with cars stuck in the water.
August 2017Flash FloodPittsfield$1,000Fourth Street near Silver Lake was flooded with a possible washout.
August 2004Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$1,000Large trees uprooted. Car windshield shattered, and large sign torn off parking garage at the Berkshire Medical Center Campus.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindPittsfield$1,000no account filed
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-An amateur radio operator reported several trees down along May Terrace in Pittsfield.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-An amateur radio operator reported a tree down on a wire along Putnam Avenue in Pittsfield.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-An amateur radio operator reported several trees down in the town of Pittsfield.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-An amateur radio operator reported two trees, 30 inches in diameter, down on Springdale Avenue near Dartmouth Street.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-An amateur radio operator reported a tree down on a car on Second Street in Pittsfield.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree and phone pole were down on Berkshire Avenue.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree and wires were down on Alcove Street.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree and wires were down on Stoddard Avenue.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was down on Pecks Road.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was down on a house on Benedict Road.
July 2023Flash FloodPittsfield-Bradford Street, Center Street, and Union Street were all closed due to flooding.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Trees were reported down in and around Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
March 2022Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was reported down on Richard Dr.
July 2021Flash FloodPittsfield-North Street was closed between Burke Avenue and New Road in Pittsfield due to flooding.
July 2021FloodPittsfield-Minor street flooding as well as some flooding in yards in the City of Pittsfield.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was downed on Circular Avenue in the City of Pittsfield.
September 2021Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Wires were reported down on Wahconah Street.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was downed into a house on Pecks Road.
May 2020Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Wires were downed on Holmes Road.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A large tree was snapped.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Multiple reports of trees downed in and near the town of Pittsfield.
May 2018Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was downed on McArthur Street.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A large tree was down blocking one lane.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A tree was down blocking the road at the intersection of Cherry Street and Willow Street in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.
August 2017Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-A large tree and wires were down on a residence.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Trees were reported down in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Wires were reported down on Pecks Road in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.
May 2016Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Trees were reported down on Elm Street and Dorchester Avenue in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.
August 2015HailPittsfield-Quarter size hail was reported during a thunderstorm at the intersection of Dalton Avenue and Westminster Avenue in Pittsfield.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Trees were reported down in Pittsfield due to thunderstorm winds.
July 2014Flash FloodPittsfield-Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms led to flash flooding in Pittsfield. Travel was impeded across the city due to high water on city roadways.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Trees were reported to be down and on cars in Pittsfield as a result of thunderstorm winds.
July 2014Flash FloodPittsfield-Over 6 inches of water was flowing across King Street in Pittsfield due to heavy rainfall from thunderstorms.
July 2014Flash FloodPittsfield-Several roads in Pittsfield were closed due to flash flooding from thunderstorm heavy rainfall, including East Street and Merrill Road.
June 2013HailPittsfield-A user on Facebook reported nickel to quarter size hail during a thunderstorm in Pittsfield.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindPittsfield-Two trees were reported down due to thunderstorm winds in Pittsfield.

Every storm recorded in Berkshire 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
Lakewood1.0 miles37
Victory Hill1.5 miles37
Pontoosuc2.0 miles37
Adams Junction2.1 miles37
Yankee Orchards2.5 miles37
Coltsville2.5 miles37
Camp Sumner2.6 miles37
Camp Stevenson2.6 miles44

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 PittsfieldAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q49184The 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 607643. 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.

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.