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Gonzales, Texas

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1985. It stands in the Gonzales census division. It lies in ZIP code area 78629. It stands on San Marcos River. The Survey maps it on the Gonzales North quadrangle. 7,165 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 285 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Gonzales within Gonzales County

On record in Gonzales

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 9 records

Population over time

3 figures

Gonzales grew from 307 to 7,165 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, 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
1850307
20107,237
20207,165-72 (-1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 12 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

15 since 2005

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Gonzales between 2005 and 2017, burning about 136 acres in total. None started naturally. None 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
Debris and open burning9
Misuse of fire by a minor2
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Smoking1
Equipment and vehicle use1

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
6 September 2010Debris and open burning15 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceRAINDROP
16 August 2011Railroad operations and maintenance25 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceTRACK FIRE
13 August 2005Debris and open burning8.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceSOUTH TX - 1
6 July 2011Railroad operations and maintenance1.5 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCOUNTY ROAD 237 FIRE
10 July 2017Equipment and vehicle use75 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceTHOUSAND OAKS
18 February 2013Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service13-0091
9 January 2013Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service13-0016
9 January 2013Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest Service13-0015

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Gonzales County

Storms near this place

42 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Gonzales in 42 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 18 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 8 flash flood, 2 tornado. The reports record 6 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
September 1999LightningGonzales6 hurtno account filed
May 1994Thunderstorm WindGonzales$500,000Damaging winds uprooted trees, snapped power lines and telephone lines, and caused widespread damage to roofs and windows. One mobile home was damaged.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindGonzales$90,000As the line of thunderstorms associated with the late season cold front moved southward into Gonzales County, they produced severe winds that knocked over trees and blew down power lines just north of Gonzales. The severe winds also damaged a trailer in the area.
November 2000Thunderstorm WindGonzales$50,000Severe thunderstorm winds knocked down trees and destroyed two outbuildings.
May 1999Thunderstorm WindGonzales$50,000no account filed
August 2003Thunderstorm WindGonzales$20,000Severe thunderstorm winds knocked over several trees just north of Gonzales
March 2000Thunderstorm WindGonzales$20,000no account filed
May 2019Thunderstorm WindGonzales$10,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 65 mph that knocked down power lines in Gonzales.
July 1998Tornado (F1)Gonzales$10,000A small and short-lived tornado struck just east of Gonzales, destroying one mobile home while also damaging 5 homes and wrapping tin roofs around poles. The tornado was preceded by severe winds that also damaged sheds and the roofs of outbuildings, as well as by large hail.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindGonzales$10,000Trees were blown down in the Gonzales area.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindGonzales$10,000no account filed
January 2024Thunderstorm WindGonzales$5,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 70 mph that knocked down a traffic light at the intersection of St. Joseph St. and St. Lawrence St. in Gonzales.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindGonzales$5,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 75 mph that snapped a tree trunk in Gonzales.
June 2010HailGonzales$5,000A thunderstorm produced hail up to two inches in diameter which damaged several cars.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindGonzales$2,000A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that damaged some trees in Gonzales.
January 2024HailGonzales-A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail on Hwy 90 west of Gonzales.
March 2018Thunderstorm WindGonzales-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that knocked down some one inch diameter tree limbs and some roof shingles near Gonzales.
June 2016Flash FloodGonzales-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing FM 108, FM 1116, FM 443, FM 1681, and CR 475.
March 2015Flash FloodGonzales-Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing FM1116 and FM532 around Gonzales.
November 2014Thunderstorm WindGonzales-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 58 mph that broke off some large tree limbs.
November 2011Thunderstorm WindGonzales-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 58 mph which snapped numerous trees, damaged several buildings, and blew down some power line poles in Gonzales.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindGonzales-A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 50 knots which knocked down trees on the golf course in Gonzales.
November 2007Flash FloodGonzales-Thunderstorms moved slowly across northern Gonzales County during the evening of November 17 producing very heavy rainfall. Radar estimates showed in excess of 4 inches of rain from 6 PM until midnight and CoCoRAHS observer Gonzales 6.7NNW reported 6.45 inches in 24 hours ending at 7 AM on November 18. The heavy rain led to flash flooding which closed FM 794 from Gonzales to near Harwood due to water over the road.
July 2007Flash FloodGonzales-A cluster of thunderstorms over Fayette, Gonzales, Karnes, DeWitt, and Lavaca Counties produced general 1 to 2 inch rainfall with up to 4 inches east of Gonzales. FM2091 and FM532 were closed due to flash flooding.
July 2007FloodGonzales-The Guadalupe River at Gonzales crested at 40.3 ft on 07/22 at 1330cst, where flood stage is 31 ft.
March 2007FloodGonzales-The Guadalupe River at Gonzales crested at 40.53 ft at 1030 CST on March 13, where flood stage is 31 ft. This was the 5th highest crest on record.
July 2007Flash FloodGonzales-Widespread 2 to 3 inch rain amounts fell in Wilson, Gonzales, DeWitt, Karnes and Lavaca Counties, with up to 4 inches west of Gonzales. US97 and FM466 were closed.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindGonzales-Severe thunderstorm winds blew large limbs off trees and knocked down trees northeast of Gonzales.
May 2007Flash FloodGonzales-Scattered showers and thunderstorms produced general 1 to 2 inch rain amounts over northeast Gonzales County, with up to 4 inches near Waelder. Many rural roads, including FM1115 and SH97, were closed due to flash flooding.
September 2007Tornado (EF0)Gonzales-A tornado touched down twice near SH97. It destroyed some chicken houses. The tornado was rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
September 2006Flash FloodGonzales-Late afternoon thunderstorms developed from northern Wilson County through northwestern Gonzales County into southwestern Fayette County, producing general 2 to 3 inches of rain over the area. Max totals in Gonzales County were 4 inches near Waelder. SH97 and FM794 were closed through the late evening due to flash flooding.
July 2006Funnel CloudGonzales-Two short-lived funnels were sighted by the public near Gonzales.
July 2004Flash FloodGonzales-Rainfall averaged between 2 and 3 inches in showers and thunderstorms around Gonzales. Several low water crossings were reported to be under water just before midnight.
September 1995Thunderstorm WindGonzales-Roofs were torn off homes. Lightning caused severe damage to one home.
May 1993HailGonzales-Dime-size hail was reported by the Sheriff's Office.
February 2017HailGonzales-no account filed
April 2007HailGonzales-no account filed
May 2006HailGonzales-no account filed
November 2000HailGonzales-no account filed
July 1998HailGonzales-no account filed
February 1998HailGonzales-no account filed
March 1998HailGonzales-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Gonzales 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
Summerville3.3 miles10
Cost6.0 miles11
Slayden6.7 miles14
Oak Forest7.0 miles11
Smithville8.4 miles14
Little New York8.4 miles11
Monthalia8.6 miles11
Hamon8.6 miles9

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 GonzalesAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q765552The 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 1336672. 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.