Medford, Wisconsin
6 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1951 and the latest in 1980. It stands in Medford City. It lies in ZIP code area 54451. The Survey maps it on the Medford quadrangle. 4,349 people lived here at the 2020 count.
Research this city
On record in Medford
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 4 records
J. W. Benn Buildinglisted 1983
Medford Free Public Librarylisted 1993
Medford Post Officelisted 2000
Taylor County Courthouselisted 1980
Population over time
2 figuresMedford grew from 4,326 to 4,349 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 | 4,326 | |
| 2020 | 4,349 | +23 (+1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 6 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.
- 1951 USGS Medford quadrangle1:48000
- 1953 USGS Rice Lake quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Rice Lake quadrangle1:250000
- 1969 USGS Medford quadrangle1:24000
- 1980 USGS Medford quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
133 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 133 fires within 5 miles of Medford between 1992 and 2018, burning about 93 acres in total. None started naturally. 5 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 | 65 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 27 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 22 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 5 |
| Other causes | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 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 September 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 25 September 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 September 1998 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 23 August 1992 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 August 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 20 August 2000 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 16 August 1994 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 6 July 2013 | Fireworks | 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
10 of 30 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 30 workings within 5 miles of Medford: 19 past producers, 6 occurrences, 3 unknowns, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stetsonville Clay Pit | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Anderson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Apple Avenue Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Bauer Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Black River Gravel Deposit #2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Black River Gravel Pit #2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Black River Gravel Pit #3 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Black River Gravel Pit #4 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Buehler Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Correction Creek Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Medford in 60 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 35 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 3 heavy rain, 2 tornado. The reports record 1 death. 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 1999 | Lightning | Medford | 1 killed | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $40,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Hail | Medford | $30,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Medford | $25,000 | Broadcast media reported tennis ball sized hail near Medford. |
| June 2005 | Tornado (F0) | Medford | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Medford | $20,000 | Emergency manager reported golf ball sized hail at the fairgrounds in Medford. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Medford | $20,000 | Public reported hen egg sized hail near Medford. |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $20,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the southern part of the county with no specific location given. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Medford | $15,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Medford | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Flood | Medford | $10,000 | Flooding was reported along County Road M, which closed one lane. There were also reports of washouts in some nearby backyards. In fact, a large part of a back yard of a residence near the intersection of County Road E and M was washed into a lake. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Medford | $8,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $7,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $6,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $5,000 | A farm outbuilding was damaged west of Medford. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $4,000 | Law Enforcement reported numerous trees and power lines down in Medford. Power outages were also reported. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $3,000 | Trees and power lines were blown down in Medford. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $3,000 | A few trees and at least one power pole were blown down just outside of Medford. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,500 | Law enforcement reported trees down in the city of Medford. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,500 | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,000 | Trees were blown down west of Medford. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,000 | Power lines were blown west of Medford. |
| September 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,000 | Trees were blown down onto County Road O west of Medford. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,000 | The emergency manager reported power lines and a tree down in the city of Medford. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $2,000 | Several large trees were blown down in the city of Medford. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,500 | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,500 | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,000 | Trees were blown down in Medford. |
| May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,000 | Law enforcement officials reported trees, power lines, and light poles blown down. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $750 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $500 | A carnival tent was blown over at the Taylor County Fair. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $500 | The emergency manager reported trees down in Medford. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $500 | The general public reported a tree down across a roadway eight miles west of Medford. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | $250 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Tornado (EF0) | Medford | - | This weak EF-0 started northwest of Medford, mainly producing tree damage along a 1 mile long path before lifting 2 minutes later. The damage path was identified with video footage of the tornado and drone footage provided by Taylor County Emergency Management. |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | Broadcast media reported several uprooted and snapped trees in the city of Medford. |
| October 2024 | Hail | Medford | - | The public reported quarter sized hail. |
| August 2016 | Heavy Rain | Medford | - | In Medford, 4.33 inches of rain fell. |
| April 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | Amateur radio operators estimated a 70 mph wind gust in Medford. |
| September 2010 | Heavy Rain | Medford | - | The storm total rainfall amounted to 3.40 inches. Also, the cooperative observer in Jump River measured a total rainfall of 3.27 inches. |
| September 2009 | Hail | Medford | - | Hail covered the ground but the largest hail stones were the size of quarters. |
| June 2009 | Heavy Rain | Medford | - | A rainfall amount of 3.51 inches was reported. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | Several trees blown down and one tree partially blocking Highway 13. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | A large area of low pressure over the Upper Mississippi Valley triggered isolated severe thunderstorms over northwest, north-central, and southwest Wisconsin. Hail up to nickel-size fell and there were reports of large trees and power lines downed by the powerful winds in Bloomingdale (Vernon County), and in Medford (Taylor County). |
| June 2012 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| September 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Hail | Medford | - | no account filed |
| September 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Medford | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Black | 2.3 miles | 6 | |
| Stetsonville | 4.5 miles | 6 | |
| Whittlesey | 5.9 miles | 6 | |
| Murat | 6.6 miles | 8 | |
| Chelsea | 10.6 miles | 10 | |
| Interwald | 13.2 miles | 9 | |
| Goodrich | 13.5 miles | 9 | |
| Rib Lake | 14.2 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 Medford | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q531515 | 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 1569306. 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.




