Markesan, Wisconsin
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1980. It stands in Markesan City. It lies in ZIP code area 53946. The Survey maps it on the Markesan quadrangle. 1,377 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 853 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresMarkesan fell from 1,476 to 1,377 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 | 1,476 | |
| 2020 | 1,377 | -99 (-7%) |
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.
- 1955 USGS Fox Lake quadrangle1:62500
- 1957 USGS Madison quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1960 USGS Madison quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1980 USGS Fond Du Lac quadrangle1:100000
- 1980 USGS Markesan quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
80 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 80 fires within 5 miles of Markesan between 1992 and 2020, burning about 228 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 3 were 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 burning | 37 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 20 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 2 |
| Other causes | 2 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 September 2013 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | E433 FIRE |
| 19 September 2004 | Equipment and vehicle use | 3.5 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 13 September 1996 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 27 August 2015 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | POWER VS BIRD |
| 20 August 1996 | Smoking | 4.2 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 August 1992 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 July 2012 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | MELMAR DRIVE |
| 18 July 1998 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
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 Markesan: 5 producers, 3 past producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernhagen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Broder Gettleman Nowatski Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Broeder Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Chier Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Gaastra Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Mackford Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Manchester Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Schulz Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
20 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Markesan in 20 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 10 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. 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 2004 | Tornado (F3) | Markesan | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $675,000 | A strong tornado spun up about a mile directly east of Lake Maria in southeastern Green Lake County, or about 4.2 miles SSE of Markesan, moved east along Sunny Drive with F3 strength (estimated 175-200), and exited Green Lake County along Mielke Rd., or about 6.8 miles SE of Markesan. Numerous trees were uprooted. At least 8 homes or ag-buildings had minor damage, at least 5 homes or ag-buildings had major damage, and at least 5 homes or ag-buildings were destroyed. Near the intersection of Sunny Drive and Pleasant Drive, two people and most basement items were "sucked" out of their home's basement while the home was being destroyed. The husband was found dead and his wife was critically injured. Average path width was about 275 yards. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $30,000 | Microburst-like winds from a decaying band of showers blew down a pole barn southeast of Markesan and flung 2x4 windows through an adjacent building. The winds broke tree branches in the city of Berlin which then fell on power lines. Power outages were noted in Berlin. |
| May 2004 | Flash Flood | Markesan | $25,000 | Basements flooded along with gravel washouts and roads closed as water levels rose to 1 foot deep. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $20,000 | A short swath of trees down. One large tree landed on a house causing significant siding and roof damage to a portion of the home. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF1) | Markesan | $5,000 | This EF1 tornado crossed into Green Lake County from Fond Du Lac County, about 4.9 miles east-southeast of Markesan, at County Road S approximately 1/4 mile east of Schure Road, and traveled a little over 2 miles to the north-northwest before dissipating approximately 3.7 miles east of Markesan, about 1200 feet northwest of the intersection of Utley Road and County Trunk Highway Q. The average path width was 75 yards, with a maximum path width of 105 yards. The tornado blew over trees and blew a door and a side panel off a pole shed. Roof shingles were also blown off of several buildings, with one home having minor roof, gutter and awning damage. The EF1 rating was determined by using DI 27(TH) DOD4 LB toward EXP with estimated winds speeds of 100 mph. The exact starting point was 43.78370/-88.88558 and the exact ending point was 43.79798/-88.91194. |
| May 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Markesan | $5,000 | An EF0 tornado spun up about 0.3 miles northwest of downtown Markesan just west of State Highway 44 (Margaret Street) about 1/2 mile south of the intersection with County Road H and traveled east-northeast slightly over 4 miles before dissipating near Utley, about 1/4 mile west-northwest of the intersection of Utley Road and County Highway Q. The tornado broke tree branches, with some of them snapping a couple power lines. The EF-rating was based on DI 27(TH) DOD 2 with winds of 75 mph. The starting location was 43.715256/-88.992648 and the ending location was 43.728902/-88.910465. The average path width was about 30 yards. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $4,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $3,000 | Numerous tree limbs down near Little Green Lake. |
| June 2004 | Hail | Markesan | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | $1,000 | Multiple large tree limbs snapped off, landing onto a road. |
| September 2021 | Hail | Markesan | - | Penny to quarter sized diameter hail reported. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | - | The Green Lake County Emergency Manager reported trees blown down, most likely from the forward flank downdraft from the tornadic thunderstorm that moved through the extreme eastern sections of the county. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | - | Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts toppled large trees. |
| June 2003 | Funnel Cloud | Markesan | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Markesan | - | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Markesan | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Hail | Markesan | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Markesan | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 3.3 miles | 10 | |
| Utley | 4.7 miles | 8 | |
| Greenwyck | 5.7 miles | 14 | |
| Lakewood Estates | 5.8 miles | 14 | |
| Center House | 6.0 miles | 10 | |
| Green Lake Terrace | 6.5 miles | 14 | |
| Indian Hills | 6.7 miles | 10 | |
| Tuleta Hills | 7.0 miles | 10 |
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 Markesan | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1570259 | 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 1569051. 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.




