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Stoughton, Wisconsin

19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1981. It stands in Stoughton City. It lies in ZIP code area 53589. The Survey maps it on the Stoughton quadrangle. 13,173 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 876 feet above sea level.

Stoughton within Dane County

On record in Stoughton

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 12 of 18 shown

Every listing in Dane County

Population over time

2 figures

Stoughton grew from 12,611 to 13,173 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
201012,611
202013,173+562 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 19 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.

In the county-history sources

205,128 words on this township

History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880 names this settlement in its chapter on Stoughton City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

XICHOIiAi^ AliTEMUS, farmer, Sec. 2 ; P. 0. Stoughton ; was born in Monroe Co., Penn., in 1829; when 16 years old, he became apprenticed to the harness-maker's trade, which he followed, together with merchandising, in his native State till 1855 ; he then emigrated to Wisconsin and located on Sec. 2, town of Dunkirk, Dane Co., where he now owns 240 acres. He was married, in Monroe Co., Penn., in 1852, to Sally A. Saylor, a native of that county ; their children are Emma 0., Sarah A., Charles S., Ida D., Oscar P., Edgar D. and Theodore N. Mr. Altemus is a member of the M. E. Church.

Passage source: History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880.

THEODORE BAILEY, farmer. Sec. 21 ; P. 0. Stoughton; was born in Litchfield Co., Conn., May 30, 1803 ; when a year old, his parents removed with him to Steuben Co., N. Y., whence, in 1821, they went to Crawford Co., Penn., and two years later to Mercer Co., Penn., where they died; when 18 years old, he went to the town of Erie, Erie Co., Penn, and there followed teaming principally till 1842, going thence to Port Stanley, Canada; he was employed on public works till November, 1850, when he removed to Alabama and engaged in the livery-stable and staging business till the spring of 1855 ; he came then to the town of Dunkirk, Dane Co., Wis., and bought his present farm of 120 acres on Sees. 20 and 21. He was married, in April, 1834, to Nancy A., daughter of Daniel and Nancy Chidester, a native of Cooperstown, N. Y.; she died June 9, 1868, having had one son - James S., who was killed in the battle of Malvern Hill, Va.; his second marriage was celebrated Sept. 12, 1869, to Mrs. Emily Lyon, nee Warren, a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., she having two daughters by a former marriage - Martha, now Mrs. George Burnett, of Stoughton ; Emma, Mrs. A. E. Gilbert, of Dunkirk.

Passage source: History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880.

A BNER B ARIiO W, retired ; is a native of New Hampshire ; born in the town of Stratford, Coos Co., June 19, 1799 ; his father, Abner Barlow, was a native of Connecticut, and removed to New Hampshire prior to the Revolutionary war ; his mother, Eunice French, was a native of Vermont, and lived till nearly 93 years old ; the Elder removed with his parents, in 1807, to Dutchess, and a year later to Herkimer Co., whence in 1812, he settled in Chautauqua Co.; here, when about 29 years old, he began the work of the ministry as an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church ; in 1835, he emigrated to Wisconsin, and located at Kenosha, where he continued his labors for nine years ; he was ordained Elder by Bishop Roberts at Chicago, in 1842, and, in 1844, came as a home missionary to the town of Dunkirk, and settled as a local preacher in this town ; his first services were held in private dwellings or some schoolhouse, but he faithfully pursued his labors under the embarrassing circumstances of pioneer days, till he can now look back upon a life well spent in the service of his Lord. He was married in Chautauqua Co., N. T., in 1823, to Polly Strunk, a native of Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co., N. Y., who died in June, 1876, leaving six children - Lafayette, now in Rice Co., Minn.; Sophia, now Mrs. Kieser, of Rice Co., Minn.; Elizabeth, now the widow of the late Sylvester Giles (deceased), of Chicago; Byron, in Chautauqua Co., N. Y.; Eunice, now the wife of David McNiel, and lives in Stoughton ; Brainard, a farmer of this town ; Henry, deceased ; Frances, now in Stoughton.

Passage source: History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Stoughton City - it names this place 169 more 169 times.

Fires near this place

18 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 18 fires within 5 miles of Stoughton between 1994 and 2020, burning about 18 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined8
Debris and open burning6
Arson/incendiarism1
Recreation and ceremony1
Other causes1
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
29 August 2020Recreation and ceremony1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources321998
14 August 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources232
13 July 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources190
8 April 2019Arson/incendiarismunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesBADFISH
8 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources101
29 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources136
27 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources125
23 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources113

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Dane County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Stoughton: 2 producers, 1 unknown. 2 still produce. What was taken out: 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
Anderson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Fosdahl PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hawkinson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Dane County

Storms near this place

50 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Stoughton in 50 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 4 funnel cloud, 3 tornado. 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
September 2013Thunderstorm WindStoughton$7,000,000Large tree uprooted and many smaller trees snapped.
June 2008Tornado (EF1)Stoughton$429,000This tornado moved from just west of Hults Road on the far western part of Stoughton northeast to a point northwest of the intersection of CTH B and CTH N. Based on the observed damage, it was probably a multiple-vortex tornado. In the Stoughton area, with respect to residential homes, it resulted in very minor damage to 24 homes, minor damage to 21 homes, and major damage to 3 homes. Additionally, 1 church sustained major damage, and 1 tabacco shed was destroyed. Total estimated property damage (roofs, siding, walls, windows) in the Stoughton area was $409,000. In the Civil town of Pleasant Springs, 12 homes sustained minor damage estimated at about $20,000. The starting and ending locations in Dodge County, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 42.92395/-89.25369 and 42.96431/-89.20166, respectively. DI #2 (FR12), DOD4. Maximum wind speed about 90-95 mph. Average path width about 75 yards.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindStoughton$50,000Rear-flank downdraft (RFD) damage occurred south of the F3 tornado that plowed through the area just north of Stoughton (Dane Co.). Numerous large trees were uprooted or had broken large branches. Several power-lines were damaged.
April 1994Thunderstorm WindStoughton$50,000no account filed
March 2022Thunderstorm WindStoughton$40,000A swath of straight-line wind damage of downed trees, limbs, and power lines. Some trees fell on roofs of homes. Some homes had damage to the shingles and facia. A camper was rolled. The greatest concentration of damage was on the southwest side of Stoughton.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindStoughton$30,000no account filed
June 2002LightningStoughton$20,000no account filed
April 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$15,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindStoughton$15,000no account filed
June 2015Thunderstorm WindStoughton$5,000Trees and power lines down at various locations in the city.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindStoughton$5,000Several large trees knocked down by straight line winds.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindStoughton$3,000A tree down on a house.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindStoughton$3,000Numerous large tree branches down on highway 138 just outside of Stoughton.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A couple trees blown down, one of which brought wires down.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A HAM radio operator reported trees and large branches were blown down by damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be 56 knots (65 mph) 2 miles south-southwest of Stoughton.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A trained spotter reported trees were blown down by damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be 56 knots (65 mph) 1 mile northeast of Stoughton.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000A large tree of a diameter of 15-20 inches down on a road.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000A trained spotter reported trees blown down by strong thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 56 knots (65 mph) along a path from Stoughton to Deerfield. A 3-foot diameter tree fell on a truck in Stoughton. Damage amount is estimated.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$100no account filed
May 2024HailStoughton-Picture of 1.5 inch diameter hail.
April 2023HailStoughton-Multiple reports of quarter to half dollar size hail in Stoughton and surrounding area.
May 2022HailStoughton-In addition to one inch hail, wind gusts to 45 mph also occurred.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindStoughton-County sheriff deputies reported trees and power lines were blown down by the strong thunderstorm gusts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindStoughton-Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees.
June 2006Tornado (F0)Stoughton-A brief tornado spun up at 1322CST at a location 3.4 miles southwest of Stoughton, just northeast of the intersection of CTH A and Lake Kegonsa Rd. Only some tree and shrub damage was noted and the tornado was rated F0 with winds of 35-63 knots (40-72 mph). The parent thunderstorm eventually moved east and generated another funnel cloud southeast of Stoughton.
July 2006Funnel CloudStoughton-Funnel cloud observed at Highway 51 and County Road B.
May 2004Tornado (F0)Stoughton-An advanced spotter videotaped a tornado that briefly spun up at 1755 CST, 3.3 miles east-southeast of Stoughton (Dane Co.), and dissipated at 1756 CST, 3.8 miles west-northwest of Albion (Dane Co.). The tornado's path was only a mile long and the width was about 25 yards. No damage was reported and this tornado was deemed an F0. The average path width was about 25 yards.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindStoughton-Scattered short lines of severe storms quickly moved northeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin. As usual, the powerful winds in these severe storms downed many large trees, or directly damaged buildings. The Village of Walworth (Walworth County) was hit by a savage wet microburst whose violent winds and golf ball-size hail resulted in considerable property damage estimated at $40,000. Just south of Walworth a large barn had rood damage and was rotated off its foundation. A roof was torn off a Walworth home and some of its debris was carried north only to damage another homes siding and a nearby power line. Elsewhere in the Village of Walworth there was damage to sheds, fences, power poles, roofs, antennas, and flag poles. Lightning struck and injured a 60-year-old man at a Williams Bay (Walworth County) Marina. He was given CPR, treated at a local hospital, and was released. Powerful winds blew southwest of Beaver Dam (Dodge County), resulting in $20,000 in damage to power lines, large trees, skirting on nine mobile homes, and a porch on a home. Lightning struck a home in Franklin (Milwaukee County) and started a fire which did about $8,000 in damage to the roof and attic. The lightning strikes in Racine County only did minor damage to roofs on a couple homes. Elsewhere, the powerful winds generated by the severe storms also knocked down many large trees in Waterford (Racine County); Waupan and Fond cu Lac (Fond du Lac County); and near Stoughton (Dane County).
April 2025HailStoughton-no account filed
April 2025HailStoughton-no account filed
September 2021HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2012HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2012HailStoughton-no account filed
July 2010Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
June 2008HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2008Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
June 2006Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
May 2006Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
August 2006HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
May 2005HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2004HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2004HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2003Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
July 2002Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
May 2001HailStoughton-no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Dane 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
Riverwood Estates1.1 miles19
Rolling Acres1.2 miles19
Pleasant Hill1.3 miles19
Oak Knoll1.8 miles19
Petty Acres2.0 miles19
Dunkirk2.5 miles19
Hanerville (historical)4.1 miles19
Kegonsa4.3 miles19

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 StoughtonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1570402The 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 1574965. 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.