BlockFitchburg, Wisconsin
20 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1981. It stands in Fitchburg City. It lies in ZIP code area 53575. The Survey maps it on the Oregon quadrangle. 29,609 people lived here at the 2020 count.
On record in Fitchburg
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 5 records
Fox Halllisted 1983
Nicholas Haight Farmsteadlisted 1993
John Mann Houselisted 1982
McCoy Farmhouselisted 1980
Wisconsin Industrial School for Girlslisted 1991
Population over time
2 figuresFitchburg grew from 25,260 to 29,609 between 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 25,260 | |
| 2020 | 29,609 | +4,349 (+17%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 20 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.
- 1889 USGS Evansville quadrangle1:62500
- 1894 USGS Evansville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1906 USGS Evansville quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
- 1955 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1961 USGS Evansville quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Oregon quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1963 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Monroe quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
11 since 2012Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 11 fires within 5 miles of Fitchburg between 2012 and 2020, burning about 36 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Smoking | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 August 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1289 |
| 13 August 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1195 |
| 26 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 18427 |
| 18 April 2014 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Leopold Wetland Management District | SCHULTZ WF |
| 1 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 18335 |
| 1 April 2018 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 18329 |
| 30 March 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 19310 |
| 26 March 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1807216 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Fitchburg: 3 producers, 1 past producer, 1 unknown. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reindahl Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Haen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Hammersley No. 1 Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Hammersly Construction Company | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Kapel-Marquardt Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Storms near this place
13 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fitchburg in 13 storm reports between 1997 and 2023: 5 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning, 3 hail, 1 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 23 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2005 | Tornado (F3) | Fitchburg | 1 killed, 23 hurt, $34,310,000 | A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through residential neighborhoods about 1/3 to 1/2 mile north of CTH B (Civil Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs, and far-northern Stoughton). It moved over the crossing of CTH A with Interstate 90/39, and stayed close to CTH A to its exit point at 1905CST where CTH A crosses into Jefferson County, about 2.8 miles south-southwest of Rockdale. One person was crushed to death in their basement from fireplace and chimney bricks that crashed through the floor. Twenty-three (23) other people were directly injured. In addition, Emergency Management officials received reports of 2 other indirectly-related deaths associated with this strong tornado. In these two cases, the people were already very ill or suffering from a life-ending disease. Injuries they received during the tornado contributed (secondary) to their death, but were not the primary cause of death, based on medical examiner reports. Consequently, these additional two deaths do not appear in the official death tally in the header strip of this event. Numerous homes, businesses, farm buildings, vehicles, power-lines, trees, and other personal effects were either damaged or destroyed along its path that grew to a maximum width of about 600 yards north of Stoughton. As for residential structures, 220 sustained minor damage, 84 had major damage, and 69 were destroyed. As for business structures, 6 sustained minor damage, 1 had major damage, and 1 was destroyed. As for agricultural structures, 5 sustained minor damage, 5 had major damage, and 40 were destroyed. Total estimated damage amounts (directly-related) for private and public sectors combined was $35.06 M, broken down to $34.31 M in property damage and $750 K in crop losses, for the tornado segment in Dane County. This tornado was probably the 3rd most costly tornado in Wisconsin's recorded history (1996 Oakfield tornado and 1984 Barneveld tornadoes were more costly). The $34.31 M in property damage was broken down to private losses (total of 32.29 M) and public losses (total of $2.02 M), per Emergency Manager reports and NWS estimates. The private losses included a total of $25.45 M for residential structures, $1.29 M for businesses, $4.25 M for agricultural structures, $1.00 M for damage to vehicles, boats, and other personal effects, $200 K to agricultural machinery and tools, and $96 K in public road system damage. The public losses making up part of the $34.31 M consisted of $2.02 M in damage to public utility systems. The $750 K in damage attributed to crop losses occurred on an estimated 1,550 acres of land. Additional monetary costs incurred in the public sector (totaling $1.84 M) which are considered indirectly-related damage expenses, and not included in the "direct" totals listed in the header-strip of this event, include: $1.38 M in debris clearance, $308 K in protective measures, and miscellaneous damage/expenses of $144 K. Therefore, the grand total of direct and indirect damage amounts and expenses attributed to this tornado segment in Dane county totaled about $36.89 M.Just south of the tornado, extending out another mile or so, tree and power-line damage resulted from rear-flank downdraft damage - in some cases south to STH 51. This damage is separate from tornado damage, and isn't included in the numbers in previous sentences. Debris from this tornado was lofted by the parent's updraft and carried downstream to scattered locations in the counties of Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha. This tornado was extensively photographed and video-taped by storm spotters (amateur radio operators, etc.), storm chasers, and private citizens. On occasions, this tornado displayed multiple-vortex characteristics. Due to partial back-building (to the west-southwest) of the supercell's updraft tower, this tornado moved slowly, and was described by some eyewitnesses and spotters as being nearly stationary at times north of Stoughton. The overall slow movement (supercell moved at 12-17 knots, or 10-15 mph), coupled with structures that were not thoroughly reinforced (based on NWS damage survey), allowed the tornado's cyclonic winds to more severely damage buildings in its path. Consequently, although some of the worst damage resembled what would be left by a F4 tornado for well-built homes, this tornado was rated at the top of the F3 category with estimated winds near 174 knots (200 mph). The F3 category has estimated wind speeds of 137-179 knots (158-206 mph). A sampling of newspaper headlines and personal quotes included: "The Sky Just Exploded," "Hard to Believe There Weren't More Deaths," "New Technology Lowers Tornado Deaths," "Counting Losses, Blessings," "It Was Probably The Most Intense Storm In The Country This Year," "It's a Mess Out Here," and "I've Never Experienced Anything Like This." The tornado cut electrical power for 1700 customers in the Stoughton area. The estimated average path length was about 175 yards. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Fitchburg | $350,000 | Lightning struck a residential home. The resultant fire severely damaged the home. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Fitchburg | $200,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitchburg | $150,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Fitchburg | $15,000 | Lightning struck a residential home and damaged its roof, electrical system and telephone line. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitchburg | $2,100 | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitchburg | $2,000 | Several large tree branches down on Blizzard Road. One large limb fell onto the back of a car. |
| June 2002 | Lightning | Fitchburg | $500 | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitchburg | - | Trees reported down. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Fitchburg | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Hail | Fitchburg | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Fitchburg | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Fitchburg | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Hall | 1.9 miles | 20 | |
| Paoli | 3.6 miles | 15 | |
| Verona | 3.9 miles | 15 | |
| Basco | 4.1 miles | 15 | |
| Syene (historical) | 5.0 miles | 25 | |
| Five Points (historical) | 5.1 miles | 17 | |
| Oregon | 5.1 miles | 20 | |
| Lakeview | 5.3 miles | 19 |
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 Fitchburg | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1570633 | 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 1565032. 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.