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Richland Center, Wisconsin

12 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1905 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Richland Center City. It lies in ZIP code area 53581. It stands on Center Creek. The Survey maps it on the Richland Center quadrangle. 5,114 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 728 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Richland Center within Richland County

On record in Richland Center

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

Population over time

3 figures

Richland Center grew from 1,227 to 5,114 between 1880 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
18801,227
20105,184
20205,114-70 (-1%)

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

63 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 63 fires within 5 miles of Richland Center between 1992 and 2020, burning about 86 acres in total. None 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 burning30
Equipment and vehicle use17
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Arson/incendiarism3
Recreation and ceremony2
Smoking2
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Other causes1
Fireworks1

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
23 September 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesSHOOTING RANGE
31 August 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
24 August 2019Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesCOUNTY Q
10 July 2007Misuse of fire by a minorunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
9 June 1997Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
8 June 2011Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesJUNE FIRE
25 June 2012Fireworksunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesFIRE WORKS 1
1 June 1997Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Richland County

Mines and quarries near this place

7 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Richland Center: 3 producers, 3 unknowns, 1 past producer. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Own CrewsStoneUnknown
Own CrewsStoneUnknown
Bethke QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Househoulder QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Motts QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Muldowney QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast Producer

Every working recorded in Richland County

Storms near this place

60 of 61 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Richland Center in 61 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 34 thunderstorm wind, 16 hail, 3 flash flood, 3 flood. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2007Flash FloodRichland Center1 killed, $8,800,000Numerous state highways and county roads were closed and impassable due to flood waters. An estimated 75 percent of the county roads were affected including Highway 80 that was impassable with bridges buckled. Highways 56 and 58 were also impacted. At least a dozen boat rescues were needed from homes and cars. The town of Rockbridge was basically underwater. A 51-year old was swept off a bridge on Highway 60 near the intersection of Highway 80 on his way to Muscoda from Mill Creek.
April 2025HailRichland Center$135,000The public reported golf ball sized hail 1 mile east of Richland Center.
August 2007FloodRichland Center$100,000Flooding continued along many creeks, streams and rivers. Law enforcement officials reported numerous roads and bridges were either washed out or still under water.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$60,000Numerous trees and powerlines were blown down across Richland Center. Two houses were damaged when trees fell on them.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$30,000no account filed
September 1997Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$25,000no account filed
May 1999Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$20,000no account filed
April 2018HailRichland Center$15,000Up to golf ball sized hail was reported in Richland Center.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$15,000A tree was blown down onto a house just outside of Richland Center.
October 2006HailRichland Center$15,000no account filed
June 1998Flash FloodRichland Center$15,000no account filed
July 1998Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$12,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$10,000no account filed
September 2007Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$8,000Several trees and power lines were blown down along County Highway DD.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$8,000no account filed
September 2007Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$6,000Trees and power lines were blown down.
May 2013Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$5,000South of Richland Center, buildings and trees were damaged.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$5,000Trees were blown down or snapped off in Richland Center including some three foot diameter trees snapped 8 to 12 feet above the ground.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$5,000Extensive tree damage occurred on the east side of Richland Center.
April 1997Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$5,000no account filed
May 2006Tornado (F0)Richland Center$4,500no account filed
September 2012Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$4,000Trees were blown down on the north edge of Richland Center.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$3,500no account filed
May 2002Flash FloodRichland Center$3,500no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$3,000Large trees were blown on Hustlers Ridge.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$3,000no account filed
August 2007Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,500Trees down in town.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,500no account filed
July 2003Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,500no account filed
July 2006Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,250no account filed
June 2020Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,000A very large tree branch was blown down just south of Richland Center.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,000Tree branches were blown down in Richland Center causing a power outage.
July 2017Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,000Large tree branches were blown down in Richland Center.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,000no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$1,000no account filed
May 2006HailRichland Center$750no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$350no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$250no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindRichland Center$250no account filed
April 2025HailRichland Center-The public reported quarter sized hail in Richland Center. The report was relayed via social media.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindRichland Center-Law enforcement reported a tree down in the city of Richland Center.
June 2024HailRichland Center-Broadcast media relayed a public report of quarter sized hail in Richland Center.
May 2018Heavy RainRichland Center-Near Richland Center, a mesonet station measured 4.8 inches of rain.
September 2018FloodRichland Center-Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding along the Pine River. County Highway O was closed at County Highway OO because of this flooding.
September 2016Heavy RainRichland Center-The COOP observer north of Richland Center measured 3.68 inches of rain.
June 2013Heavy RainRichland Center-In Richland Center, 3.1 inches of rain was reported.
September 2012HailRichland Center-Hail up to the size of walnuts was reported northwest of Richland Center.
June 2011HailRichland Center-Public estimated nickel to quarter size hail in the city of Richland Center.
March 2007Funnel CloudRichland Center-no account filed
July 2006Thunderstorm WindRichland Center-no account filed
October 2006HailRichland Center-no account filed
May 2003HailRichland Center-no account filed
May 2002HailRichland Center-no account filed
May 2002HailRichland Center-no account filed
April 2001HailRichland Center-no account filed
June 2001HailRichland Center-no account filed
September 2000HailRichland Center-no account filed
March 1998FloodRichland Center-no account filed
June 1995Thunderstorm WindRichland Center-no account filed
July 1995HailRichland Center-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Richland 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
Ashford (historical)4.4 miles12
Aubrey5.1 miles12
Ithaca5.6 miles12
Twin Bluffs5.7 miles12
Buck Creek6.1 miles12
Sextonville6.4 miles12
McGrew (historical)6.7 miles12
Neptune6.9 miles12

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 Richland CenterAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1569965The 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 1578616. 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.