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
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
Appleton City Park Historic Districtlisted 2002
Appleton Lock 4 Historic Districtlisted 1993
Appleton Locks 1-3 Historic Districtlisted 1993
Appleton Wire Workslisted 2008
Appleton Woolen Millslisted 2016
College Avenue Historic Districtlisted 1982
J. B. Courtney Woolen Millslisted 1993
Fox River Paper Company Historic Districtlisted 1990
Hearthstonelisted 1974
Main Hall, Lawrence Universitylisted 1974
Masonic Templelisted 1985
Schuetter, Henry Houselisted 1996
Population over time
17 figuresAppleton 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 2,345 | |
| 1870 | 4,518 | +2,173 (+93%) |
| 1880 | 8,005 | +3,487 (+77%) |
| 1890 | 11,869 | +3,864 (+48%) |
| 1900 | 15,085 | +3,216 (+27%) |
| 1910 | 16,773 | +1,688 (+11%) |
| 1920 | 19,561 | +2,788 (+17%) |
| 1930 | 25,267 | +5,706 (+29%) |
| 1940 | 28,436 | +3,169 (+13%) |
| 1950 | 34,010 | +5,574 (+20%) |
| 1960 | 48,411 | +14,401 (+42%) |
| 1970 | 56,377 | +7,966 (+16%) |
| 1980 | 58,913 | +2,536 (+4%) |
| 1990 | 65,695 | +6,782 (+12%) |
| 2000 | 70,087 | +4,392 (+7%) |
| 2010 | 72,623 | +2,536 (+4%) |
| 2020 | 75,644 | +3,021 (+4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 10 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.
- 1955 USGS Appleton quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Appleton quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1955 USGS Green Bay quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Appleton quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1992 USGS Appleton quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
27 since 2018Regional 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/undetermined | 16 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 2020 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 20CL029 |
| 1 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | AP00565 |
| 7 July 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | AP00199 |
| 6 July 2018 | Fireworks | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 9000084 |
| 3 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1386 |
| 25 July 2018 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 18BU001 |
| 25 June 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 5000049 |
| 19 June 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1260 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
8 within 5 milesRegional 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Perlite Co. | Perlite | Plant | ||
| Own Crews | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Mccarthy Road Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Van Handel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Badger Highway Menasha Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Curtiss Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Jorgenson Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Monnot Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 106 shownRegional 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2010 | Hail | Appleton | $6,200,000 | Golf 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 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $3,500,000 | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $1,100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2013 | Heavy Rain | Appleton | $98,500 | Heavy 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 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $40,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted 2 trees and damaged a house in Appleton. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $14,000 | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $10,000 | High winds from thunderstorms knocked a large tree onto a garage, blew lawn furniture from a yard and damaged a storefront. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $4,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $3,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| April 2022 | Hail | Appleton | - | Penny size hail fell near Appleton. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees on the southwest side of Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 59 mph on the northwest side of Appleton. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed multiple trees and powerlines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds produced a wind gust to 59 mph at the Appleton airport. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and powerlines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 72 mph on the west side of Appleton. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2021 | Hail | Appleton | - | Penny size hail fell in Appleton. |
| September 2021 | Hail | Appleton | - | Quarter size hail fell just north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| September 2021 | Hail | Appleton | - | Lime size hail fell north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| September 2021 | Hail | Appleton | - | Ping pong size hail fell north of Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees near Appleton. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | 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 2019 | Hail | Appleton | - | Nickel size hail fell in Appleton. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | A thunderstorm wind gust of 67 mph was measured on the west side of Appleton at Perkins Street and College Avenue. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Appleton | - | Nickel size hail fell in Appleton. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Appleton | - | Quarter size hail fell in Appleton. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Appleton | - | Quarter size hail fell in Appleton. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees west of Appleton. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed many tree limbs near the 300 block of South Buchanan Street in Appleton. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Appleton. The time of this report was estimated based on radar data. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed large trees on the south and east sides of Appleton. |
| August 2017 | Hail | Appleton | - | Hail, up to quarter size, fell in Grand Chute. |
| June 2015 | Heavy Rain | Appleton | - | Heavy rain caused minor street flooding at numerous locations in and around Appleton. |
| December 2015 | Heavy Rain | Appleton | - | 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 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Appleton. |
| August 2014 | Hail | Appleton | - | Nickel size hail fell near the intersection of College Avenue and U.S. Highway 41 in the Appleton area. |
| June 2014 | Heavy Rain | Appleton | - | Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused street flooding in Black Creek, at the intersection Main Street and Oak Street. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced penny size hail at College Avenue and Lynndale Drive in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail at College Avenue and Matthias Street in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced walnut size hail in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail at Wisconsin Avenue and Mason Street in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Penny size hail fell in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail at the Fox River Mall in the Town of Grand Chute. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | 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 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | A measured wind gust of 67 mph was reported at Lawrence University, in the city of Appleton. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms produced walnut size hail at Appleton Medical Central and near the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Mason Street. |
| May 2012 | Hail | Appleton | - | Penny size hail and heavy rain fell in the Town of Grand Chute, northwest of Appleton. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms winds downed trees and power lines across Appleton east to Kaukauna. The time of this event was estimated based on radar data. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorm winds produced a wind gust of 58 mph in the town of Grand Chute. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Appleton | - | Thunderstorms southeast of Appleton produced a measured wind gust of 60 mph. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell Heights | 1.3 miles | 10 | |
| Whispering Pines | 2.1 miles | 10 | |
| Kimberly | 4.1 miles | 9 | |
| Apple Creek | 4.9 miles | 9 | |
| Little Chute | 5.3 miles | 9 | |
| Combined Locks | 5.4 miles | 9 | |
| Mackville | 5.6 miles | 10 | |
| Greenville | 6.9 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 Appleton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q94928 | 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 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.




