BlockBefore

Appleton, Wisconsin

10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1992. It stands in Appleton City. It lies in ZIP code area 54911. The Survey maps it on the Appleton quadrangle. 75,644 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 791 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Appleton within Outagamie County

On record in Appleton

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 12 of 21 shown

Every listing in Outagamie County

Population over time

17 figures

Appleton grew from 2,345 to 75,644 between 1860 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
18602,345
18704,518+2,173 (+93%)
18808,005+3,487 (+77%)
189011,869+3,864 (+48%)
190015,085+3,216 (+27%)
191016,773+1,688 (+11%)
192019,561+2,788 (+17%)
193025,267+5,706 (+29%)
194028,436+3,169 (+13%)
195034,010+5,574 (+20%)
196048,411+14,401 (+42%)
197056,377+7,966 (+16%)
198058,913+2,536 (+4%)
199065,695+6,782 (+12%)
200070,087+4,392 (+7%)
201072,623+2,536 (+4%)
202075,644+3,021 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 10 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

27 since 2018

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 27 fires within 5 miles of Appleton between 2018 and 2020, burning about 11 acres in total. None 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/undetermined16
Smoking4
Debris and open burning4
Arson/incendiarism1
Fireworks1
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
15 August 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources20CL029
1 August 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesAP00565
7 July 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesAP00199
6 July 2018Fireworksunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources9000084
3 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1386
25 July 2018Smoking1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources18BU001
25 June 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources5000049
19 June 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1260

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Outagamie County

Mines and quarries near this place

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Appleton: 3 past producers, 2 producers, 2 unknowns, 1 plant. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Perlite. 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
Midwest Perlite Co.PerlitePlant
Own CrewsStoneUnknown
Mccarthy Road Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Van Handel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Badger Highway Menasha QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Curtiss QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Jorgenson QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer
Monnot QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Outagamie County

Storms near this place

60 of 106 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Appleton in 106 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 47 hail, 45 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 4 heavy rain. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2010HailAppleton$6,200,000Golf ball size hail near Appleton damaged nearly 1,000 vehicles and at least 200 homes. Many of the homes sustained significant damage as the hail damaged roofs and siding.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindAppleton$3,500,000no account filed
September 2005Thunderstorm WindAppleton$1,100,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindAppleton$100,000no account filed
July 2013Heavy RainAppleton$98,500Heavy rain fell in Appleton during the early morning of June 8th, mainly between 0315CST and 0700CST. The 24-hour rainfall total ending at 0600CST was 2.35 inches. The weight of the rainwater caused the roof of a building to collapse around 0900CST. The collapse caused a gas leak, and the Appleton building inspector declared 3 buildings uninhabitable while contractors examined the damage.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindAppleton$40,000Thunderstorm winds uprooted 2 trees and damaged a house in Appleton.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindAppleton$14,000no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindAppleton$10,000High winds from thunderstorms knocked a large tree onto a garage, blew lawn furniture from a yard and damaged a storefront.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindAppleton$4,000no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindAppleton$3,000no account filed
July 1996Thunderstorm WindAppleton$3,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindAppleton$1,000no account filed
May 2025Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
April 2022HailAppleton-Penny size hail fell near Appleton.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees on the southwest side of Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 59 mph on the northwest side of Appleton.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds snapped trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed multiple trees and powerlines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds produced a wind gust to 59 mph at the Appleton airport.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and powerlines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 72 mph on the west side of Appleton.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2021HailAppleton-Penny size hail fell in Appleton.
September 2021HailAppleton-Quarter size hail fell just north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
September 2021HailAppleton-Lime size hail fell north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
September 2021HailAppleton-Ping pong size hail fell north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees near Appleton.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed some road signs along Highway 441 and a couple of other locations, bent a power pole near I-41 and Ballard Road, and caused tree damage in the northeast part of Appleton.
July 2019HailAppleton-Nickel size hail fell in Appleton.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindAppleton-A thunderstorm wind gust of 67 mph was measured on the west side of Appleton at Perkins Street and College Avenue.
August 2019HailAppleton-Nickel size hail fell in Appleton.
August 2019HailAppleton-Quarter size hail fell in Appleton.
August 2019HailAppleton-Quarter size hail fell in Appleton.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees west of Appleton.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed many tree limbs near the 300 block of South Buchanan Street in Appleton.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Appleton. The time of this report was estimated based on radar data.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed large trees on the south and east sides of Appleton.
August 2017HailAppleton-Hail, up to quarter size, fell in Grand Chute.
June 2015Heavy RainAppleton-Heavy rain caused minor street flooding at numerous locations in and around Appleton.
December 2015Heavy RainAppleton-Several rounds of heavy rainfall across Outagamie County produced 3.74 inches of rain in Appleton. Runoff from the rainfall resulting in water collecting in low-lying areas.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton.
August 2014HailAppleton-Nickel size hail fell near the intersection of College Avenue and U.S. Highway 41 in the Appleton area.
June 2014Heavy RainAppleton-Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused street flooding in Black Creek, at the intersection Main Street and Oak Street.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced penny size hail at College Avenue and Lynndale Drive in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail at College Avenue and Matthias Street in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced walnut size hail in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail at Wisconsin Avenue and Mason Street in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Penny size hail fell in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail at the Fox River Mall in the Town of Grand Chute.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced hail that was slightly smaller than tennis ball size as they passed through Appleton. The time of this event is estimated based on radar data.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindAppleton-A measured wind gust of 67 mph was reported at Lawrence University, in the city of Appleton.
June 2013HailAppleton-Thunderstorms produced walnut size hail at Appleton Medical Central and near the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Mason Street.
May 2012HailAppleton-Penny size hail and heavy rain fell in the Town of Grand Chute, northwest of Appleton.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorms winds downed trees and power lines across Appleton east to Kaukauna. The time of this event was estimated based on radar data.
August 2012Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorm winds produced a wind gust of 58 mph in the town of Grand Chute.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindAppleton-Thunderstorms southeast of Appleton produced a measured wind gust of 60 mph.

Every storm recorded in Outagamie 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
Bell Heights1.3 miles10
Whispering Pines2.1 miles10
Kimberly4.1 miles9
Apple Creek4.9 miles9
Little Chute5.3 miles9
Combined Locks5.4 miles9
Mackville5.6 miles10
Greenville6.9 miles8

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 AppletonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q94928The 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 1560914. 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.