Watertown, Wisconsin
19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Watertown City. It lies in ZIP code area 53094. It lies near Tivoli Island. The Survey maps it on the Watertown quadrangle. 22,926 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 853 feet above sea level.
On record in Watertown
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 13 shown
Beals and Torrey Shoe Co. Buildinglisted 1984
Chicago and Northwest Railroad Passenger Stationlisted 1979
First Kindergartenlisted 1972
Fuermann, August, Jr., and Eliza, Houselisted 1989
Main Street Commercial Historic Districtlisted 1989
North Washington Street Historic Districtlisted 2009
Octagon Houselisted 1971
Richards Hill Residential Historic Districtlisted 2013
Albert F. Solliday Houselisted 2003
South Washington Street Historic Districtlisted 2003
St. Paul's Episcopal Churchlisted 1979- Brandt Houselisted 2008
Population over time
3 figuresWatertown grew from 21,598 to 22,926 between 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21,598 | |
| 2010 | 23,861 | +2,263 (+10%) |
| 2020 | 22,926 | -935 (-4%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 19 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.
- 1892 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:62500
- 1894 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:62500, 5 printings
- 1957 USGS Madison quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1960 USGS Madison quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1984 USGS Oconomowoc quadrangle1:100000
- 1991 USGS Oconomowoc quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
15 since 2018Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Watertown between 2018 and 2020, burning about 6 acres in total. 2 started naturally. None 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/undetermined | 8 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 August 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 33 |
| 30 August 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1901800 |
| 20 August 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 2001619 |
| 15 June 2018 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1801158 |
| 30 May 2018 | Natural | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1801057 |
| 7 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 13 |
| 30 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1800842 |
| 29 April 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 1804119 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
6 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Watertown: 4 unknowns, 1 producer, 1 past producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Stone, Crushed/Broken, 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schmidt Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Martin Kaddatz Gravel Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Sherwood Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| City of Watertown Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Own Crews | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Watertown Quarry | Stone | Unknown |
Storms near this place
47 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Watertown in 47 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 17 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 6 lightning, 5 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Watertown | 1 hurt, $400,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Lightning | Watertown | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Watertown | $300,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Watertown | $150,000 | Training thunderstorms produced 3 to 5 inches of rain in two hours or less across mainly the northern two-thirds of the county. Many roads were rendered impassable for a time due to the heavy downpours. Localized flooding of roads and some basements, with damage to contents, were reported by the county emergency manager in Waterloo, Watertown, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Ixonia and Johnson Creek. STH 19 was closed east of Watertown due to high water over the road. Some storm total rainfall reports include 5.45 inches at Palmyra; 4.97 inches in Milford; 4.70 inches at the National Weather Service office in Sullivan; and 4.59 inches in Waterloo. |
| July 2005 | Lightning | Watertown | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $50,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were reported blown down by damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 56 knots in a swath from 2 miles south of Watertown to Watertown. A tree fell on a home, with minimal damage reported by firefighters responding to the scene. The winds blew over a shed that damaged fencing, a viewing platform and a horse trailer at the Avalon Therapeutic Equestrian Center. Damage in the area totaled $50,000 dollars. |
| June 1997 | Flood | Watertown | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Flash Flood | Watertown | $40,000 | Flash flooding of streets in Watertown. A few stranded vehicles across the city. A 3 to 4 foot sinkhole occurred due to the floodwaters. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Watertown | $25,000 | Three to five inches of rain fell with a severe thunderstorm complex that crossed southern Wisconsin. Many streets were flooded in Watertown where a measured 3.25 inches of rain fell in 4 hours. Law enforcement officials closed Industrial Road in Ixonia due to flooding. Water depths on some roads reached 1 to 3 feet. A few gravel shoulder washouts on country roads were reported. |
| May 2000 | Flash Flood | Watertown | $25,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $20,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Lightning | Watertown | $15,000 | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $10,000 | Multiple trees and powerlines down throughout Watertown. The combination of winds and heavy rains caused an old brick building to partially collapse. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $10,000 | The Jefferson County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines were blown down in Watertown from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 60 mph (52 knots). |
| July 1997 | Lightning | Watertown | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Lightning | Watertown | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | $1,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Watertown | - | Public report of 1.25 inch diameter hail in Watertown. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Watertown | - | Trained spotter reports 1.75 inch diameter hail in Watertown. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Watertown | - | Public report of 1 inch diameter hail in Watertown. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | Large tree down along West St. in Watertown. Winds estimated at 60 mph. Pea size hail also occurred. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | A trained spotter reported a severe thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 60 mph (52 knots). |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | A tree two and one half feet in diameter blew down partially blocking the intersection of Highway 26 and Milwaukee Street in Watertown. Time estimated from radar. |
| October 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | Powerful thunderstorm winds knocked down large trees. |
| July 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Watertown | - | A weak F0 tornado (40 to 45 mph) briefly spun up 3.4 miles southwest of Watertown and produced no damage. Specifically, it spun up about one-half mile west of STH 26 in the center of an area bounded by CTH Y, Ebenezer Rd., and High Rd. |
| April 2023 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| October 2006 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Flood | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Funnel Cloud | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Lightning | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watertown | - | no account filed |
| August 1995 | Hail | Watertown | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ebenezer | 3.9 miles | 19 | |
| Grellton | 5.2 miles | 15 | |
| Pipersville | 5.5 miles | 19 | |
| Ixonia | 7.8 miles | 18 | |
| Hubbleton | 8.1 miles | 16 | |
| Johnson Creek | 8.5 miles | 15 | |
| Farmington | 8.7 miles | 18 | |
| Milford | 9.0 miles | 15 |
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 Watertown | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1207479 | 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 1576295. 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.







