Buffalo, Texas
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Buffalo census division. It lies in ZIP code area 75831. The Survey maps it on the Buffalo quadrangle. 1,767 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 384 feet above sea level.
Population over time
3 figuresBuffalo fell from 1,804 to 1,767 between 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,804 | |
| 2010 | 1,856 | +52 (+3%) |
| 2020 | 1,767 | -89 (-5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 8 printed 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.
- 1954 USGS Waco quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Waco quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Jewett quadrangle1:62500
- 1965 USGS Buffalo quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1985 USGS Marlin quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
58 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 58 fires within 5 miles of Buffalo between 1993 and 2020, burning about 768 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 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 | 32 |
| Debris and open burning | 14 |
| Smoking | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 3 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Natural | 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 September 2019 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | M/A GRASS FIRE 182 N I45 |
| 8 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRASS FIRE |
| 5 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRASS FIRE |
| 30 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | AID BUFFALO GRASS FIRE I-45 182 |
| 3 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | GRASS FIRE |
| 26 September 2011 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 21 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | LIVINGSTON - 936 |
| 26 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | MUTIAL AID BUFFALO FD GRASS FIRE FCR 691 |
| 24 September 2014 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | LATHROP |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
32 since 1996Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Buffalo in 32 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 13 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 7 flash flood, 2 tornado. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $1,000,000 | Downburst and straight-line winds caused considerable damage along a line from south of Fairfield in Freestone County to Buffalo in Leon County. Notable, consistent tree damage was observed along Interstate 45 with large trees uprooted. Along SH 164 west of Buffalo but just inside the Freestone County line, four electrical tower trusses were collapsed. In and around Buffalo, considerable tree damage was noted including large limbs that fell on roofs. Billboards were damaged, at least one hotel roof was damaged, and many other structures suffered roof damage. Additional information about the damage in Freestone is explained in the Freestone County entry. |
| February 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $50,000 | Strong wind removed the roof of the Buffalo DPS office and blew down trees and power lines. |
| May 2025 | Tornado (EF1) | Buffalo | $10,000 | A second tornado occurred in Leon County, southeast of Buffalo and west of Flo. The tornado likely began west of US 75 and north of CR 305. Several large trees were damaged on a property in this area, and additional tree damage could be seen on the east side of the Highway. The tornado then damaged trees and a metal outbuilding on CR 275. The tornado traveled east over inaccessible land but was tracked again along FM 831 near CRs 283 & 285. Notable tree damage and snapped trunks were found in this area. One manufactured home suffered minor roof damage. The tornado dissipated just east of this area. This tornado was rated EF-1 with maximum estimated winds of 95 mph. |
| May 2011 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | $10,000 | Flash flooding was reported within the town of Buffalo and along Highway 75 south of town. Several County Roads also experienced flooding near Highway 75. FM 2539 south of Buffalo had to be closed for a few weeks because a culvert was washed out. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down by high winds. |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $10,000 | High thunderstorm winds blew down trees and telephone poles. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $7,000 | Broadcast media reported that a tractor barn made of sheet metal was destroyed in Buffalo, TX. |
| February 2008 | Hail | Buffalo | $5,000 | Pea to golfball-size hail was reported by the Buffalo Police Department and relayed by the Centerville Sherriff's office. |
| December 2006 | Tornado (F0) | Buffalo | $5,000 | Damage was reported along Highway 79 east of Buffalo. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $3,000 | Three 12 trees were knocked down along Highway 164 about half a mile west of I-45. |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $3,000 | Power lines blown down. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Buffalo | $2,000 | Golf ball size hail fell just northeast of Buffalo. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Buffalo | $1,000 | Golfball size hail fell 4 miles south of the town of Buffalo. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $200 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees. |
| May 2024 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | TxDOT reported a road closure on Laney Street 2 miles north of Buffalo due to flooding of Buffalo Creek from heavy rainfall Wednesday night into Thursday morning. |
| April 2019 | Hail | Buffalo | - | A trained spotter reported half-dollar size hail in the city of Buffalo, TX. |
| December 2015 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | High water was reported at US 79 and Texas Highway 75 in Buffalo. Water was also reported over Texas Highway 164 at Interstate 45 north of Buffalo. Additional flooding was also reported in the town of Buffalo; in particular the parking lot of the Community National Bank was covered in water with the water extending up to the doors of the building. |
| May 2014 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Water was running over Highway 75 north of Buffalo due to an overflowing creek. Up to 3 of rain fell in the area in just a few hours. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Penny sized hail was reported between Buffalo and Donie. |
| February 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | A spotter estimated a 60 MPH wind gust in Buffalo. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Trees were blown down between Buffalo and Jewett. |
| October 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | A tree was blown down. |
| March 2006 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Water over FM 1838 and Highway 79 between Buffalo and Oakwood at Keechie Creek. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | Water was over Highway 75 and Highway 79 near Buffalo. |
| November 1998 | Flash Flood | Buffalo | - | A highway near buffalo was closed due to high water from flash flooding. The highway number is unknown. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Strong winds blew down large tree limbs and uprooted a tree. |
| April 2015 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| September 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| October 1996 | Hail | Buffalo | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keechi | 6.6 miles | 9 | |
| Corinth | 6.9 miles | 8 | |
| Flo | 8.3 miles | 9 | |
| Jewett | 8.4 miles | 8 | |
| Midway | 8.6 miles | 9 | |
| Newby | 9.6 miles | 8 | |
| North Salem | 10.3 miles | 8 | |
| Friendship | 12.0 miles | 8 |
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 Buffalo | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q969432 | 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 1353185. 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.
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.




