Merrill, Wisconsin
12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Merrill City. It lies in ZIP code area 54452. It stands on Prairie River. The Survey maps it on the Merrill quadrangle. 9,347 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,316 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Merrill
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 6 records
First Street Bridgelisted 1996
Lincoln County Courthouselisted 1978
Merrill City Halllisted 1978
Merrill Post Officelisted 2000
T. B. Scott Free Librarylisted 1974- Center Avenue Historic Districtlisted 1994
Population over time
2 figuresMerrill fell from 9,661 to 9,347 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 | 9,661 | |
| 2020 | 9,347 | -314 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 12 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.
- 1899 USGS Wausau quadrangle1:125000
- 1902 USGS Wausau quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1951 USGS Merrill quadrangle1:48000
- 1954 USGS Iron Mountain quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1959 USGS Iron Mountain quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1966 USGS Merrill quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1982 USGS Merrill quadrangle1:24000
- 1990 USGS Merrill quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
141 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 141 fires within 5 miles of Merrill between 1992 and 2020, burning about 204 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 9 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 | 41 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 38 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 6 |
| Other causes | 6 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Fireworks | 4 |
| Natural | 1 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2003 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.4 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 7 September 1998 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 5 September 2005 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 21 September 1998 | Other causes | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 11 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 31 August 2020 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | POPPIN POPPLE |
| 11 August 1998 | Equipment and vehicle use | 5.6 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 9 July 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 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 13 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 13 workings within 5 miles of Merrill: 5 producers, 4 past producers, 3 unknowns, 1 occurrence. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, Granite. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Line Creek Granite Deposit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| Gravel Pit | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Merrill Granite Quarry | Granite | Past Producer | ||
| Big Eddy Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Bracks Sand Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| George Peterson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| George Peterson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Harold Kleinschmidt Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Klade Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 84 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Merrill in 84 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 34 thunderstorm wind, 33 hail, 5 tornado, 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 1997 | Tornado (F2) | Merrill | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Lightning | Merrill | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Merrill | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Merrill and several locations in southeast Lincoln County. One of the trees landed on a car on East Main Street in Merrill. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Merrill | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $3,000 | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Flood | Merrill | $2,000 | Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused minor street flooding in Merrill. |
| July 1997 | Lightning | Merrill | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Hail | Merrill | $2,000 | no account filed |
| September 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Pine River. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Merrill | - | Penny size hail fell in Merrill. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data. |
| May 2021 | Hail | Merrill | - | Nickel size hail fell in Merrill. |
| July 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Merrill | - | A tornado formed at 8:40 PM CDT near Pine River in southern Lincoln County and produced damage to dozens of trees, (DI 28, DOD 2,3,4), continuing south and entering Marathon County at 8:42 PM CDT. Total path length is estimated to be 2.68 miles long, with a width of 300 yards. Peak wind estimated to be 90 mph. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed multiple trees, tore a roof off a barn, and shredded corn fields. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| September 2020 | Hail | Merrill | - | Quarter size hail fell near Merrill. |
| September 2020 | Hail | Merrill | - | Half dollar size hail fell near Merrill. |
| September 2020 | Hail | Merrill | - | Quarter size hail fell in Merrill. |
| September 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Merrill. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds snapped several tree limbs in Merrill. |
| September 2018 | Flood | Merrill | - | Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms flooded streets in Merrill. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed multiple trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this report was estimated using radar data. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm wind downed several trees just south of Merrill. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Merrill | - | Thunderstorms produced nickel size hail and wind gusts to 50 mph as they passed through Merrill. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Merrill | - | Nickel size hail fell near Merrill. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees in Merrill. |
| July 2017 | Hail | Merrill | - | Penny size hail fell south of Merrill. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds, gusting to 58 mph, downed trees in Merrill. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Merrill | - | Half dollar size hail fell in Merrill. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Merrill | - | Quarter size hail fell in Merrill. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Merrill | - | Half dollar size hail fell at the intersection of Highways 64 and 51. |
| August 2015 | Hail | Merrill | - | Penny size hail fell southeast of Merrill. |
| September 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds caused scattered tree damage in Merrill. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Merrill | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Merrill. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Merrill | - | A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail in Merrill. |
| June 2013 | Heavy Rain | Merrill | - | Heavy rainfall in and around Merrill caused street flooding. The AWOS at Merrill Municipal Airport recorded 1.77 inches of rain between 1555CST and 1655CST. |
| June 2012 | Heavy Rain | Merrill | - | Heavy rain led to minor street flooding in Merrill. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorm winds uprooted large trees in Merrill. |
| October 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Thunderstorms produced wind gusts estimated as high as 60 mph in Merrill. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Merrill | - | Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Merrill. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Law enforcement reported trees and power lines were knocked down near Merrill. |
| August 2011 | Heavy Rain | Merrill | - | More than an inch of rain, 1.27 inches, fell in Merrill in 35 minutes. |
| July 2010 | Heavy Rain | Merrill | - | Heavy rainfall in southern Lincoln County caused street flooding in Merrill. Law enforcement measured 1.72 inches of rain at Merrill. Merrill Municipal Airport recorded 1.93 inches of rain between 11:56 am and 12:55 pm CST and a spotter located about 8 miles west of Merrill measured 2.24 inches of rain in one hour ending at 12:47 pm CST. |
| April 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported on Fairview Road south of Merrill. |
| July 2008 | Funnel Cloud | Merrill | - | A funnel cloud was spotted near Merrill. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Many trees and power lines down. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Merrill | - | Straight-line thunderstorm winds, estimated at 50 to 60 mph across the southern part of the county, snapped a 16 inch diameter pine tree 2 feet above the ground. |
| May 2007 | Hail | Merrill | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Merrill | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Merrill | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Merrill | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Merrill | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River | 4.6 miles | 12 | |
| Otis | 6.1 miles | 9 | |
| Dutch Corners | 8.1 miles | 12 | |
| Bloomville | 11.3 miles | 9 | |
| Irma | 11.8 miles | 9 | |
| Doering | 12.5 miles | 11 | |
| Gleason | 13.3 miles | 11 | |
| Dudley | 15.7 miles | 11 |
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 Merrill | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1569608 | 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 1569368. 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.







