BlockBefore

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

Merrill within Lincoln County

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

Population over time

2 figures

Merrill 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.

YearPeople Change
20109,661
20209,347-314 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 12 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

141 since 1992

Regional 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 burning41
Equipment and vehicle use38
Missing data/not specified/undetermined25
Arson/incendiarism9
Recreation and ceremony6
Power generation/transmission/distribution6
Other causes6
Smoking4
Fireworks4
Natural1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
8 September 2003Equipment and vehicle use1.4 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
7 September 1998Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 September 2005Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
21 September 1998Other causesunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
11 September 2007Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
31 August 2020Power generation/transmission/distributionunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesPOPPIN POPPLE
11 August 1998Equipment and vehicle use5.6 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 July 2008Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Lincoln County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 13 shown

Regional 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
County Line Creek Granite DepositStone, Crushed/BrokenOccurrence
Gravel PitStoneUnknown
Merrill Granite QuarryGranitePast Producer
Big Eddy PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Bracks Sand PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
County PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
George Peterson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
George Peterson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Harold Kleinschmidt PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Klade PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Lincoln County

Storms near this place

60 of 84 shown

Regional 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1997Tornado (F2)Merrill$500,000no account filed
May 1996LightningMerrill$150,000no account filed
July 2002Tornado (F0)Merrill$100,000no account filed
July 2002Thunderstorm WindMerrill$25,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindMerrill$25,000no account filed
July 2011Thunderstorm WindMerrill$10,000Thunderstorm 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 1997Thunderstorm WindMerrill$10,000no account filed
July 2002Tornado (F0)Merrill$5,000no account filed
May 1996Thunderstorm WindMerrill$5,000no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindMerrill$3,000no account filed
June 2017FloodMerrill$2,000Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused minor street flooding in Merrill.
July 1997LightningMerrill$2,000no account filed
July 1997HailMerrill$2,000no account filed
September 1997Thunderstorm WindMerrill$1,000no account filed
July 2025Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Pine River. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed several trees in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
July 2023HailMerrill-Penny size hail fell in Merrill.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
May 2021HailMerrill-Nickel size hail fell in Merrill.
July 2021Tornado (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 2021Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindMerrill-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 2020HailMerrill-Quarter size hail fell near Merrill.
September 2020HailMerrill-Half dollar size hail fell near Merrill.
September 2020HailMerrill-Quarter size hail fell in Merrill.
September 2019Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Merrill. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds snapped several tree limbs in Merrill.
September 2018FloodMerrill-Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms flooded streets in Merrill.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed multiple trees and power lines in Merrill. The time of this report was estimated using radar data.
May 2017Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm wind downed several trees just south of Merrill.
April 2017HailMerrill-Thunderstorms produced nickel size hail and wind gusts to 50 mph as they passed through Merrill.
June 2017HailMerrill-Nickel size hail fell near Merrill.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees in Merrill.
July 2017HailMerrill-Penny size hail fell south of Merrill.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds, gusting to 58 mph, downed trees in Merrill.
August 2015HailMerrill-Half dollar size hail fell in Merrill.
August 2015HailMerrill-Quarter size hail fell in Merrill.
August 2015HailMerrill-Half dollar size hail fell at the intersection of Highways 64 and 51.
August 2015HailMerrill-Penny size hail fell southeast of Merrill.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds caused scattered tree damage in Merrill.
June 2013HailMerrill-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Merrill.
June 2013HailMerrill-A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail in Merrill.
June 2013Heavy RainMerrill-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 2012Heavy RainMerrill-Heavy rain led to minor street flooding in Merrill.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorm winds uprooted large trees in Merrill.
October 2012Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Thunderstorms produced wind gusts estimated as high as 60 mph in Merrill.
July 2011HailMerrill-Thunderstorms produced quarter size hail in Merrill.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Law enforcement reported trees and power lines were knocked down near Merrill.
August 2011Heavy RainMerrill-More than an inch of rain, 1.27 inches, fell in Merrill in 35 minutes.
July 2010Heavy RainMerrill-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 2009Thunderstorm WindMerrill-An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported on Fairview Road south of Merrill.
July 2008Funnel CloudMerrill-A funnel cloud was spotted near Merrill.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindMerrill-Many trees and power lines down.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindMerrill-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 2007HailMerrill-no account filed
June 2007HailMerrill-no account filed
June 2007HailMerrill-no account filed
June 2007HailMerrill-no account filed
June 2007HailMerrill-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lincoln County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Pine River4.6 miles12
Otis6.1 miles9
Dutch Corners8.1 miles12
Bloomville11.3 miles9
Irma11.8 miles9
Doering12.5 miles11
Gleason13.3 miles11
Dudley15.7 miles11

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 MerrillAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1569608The 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.