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Waupaca, Wisconsin

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1992. It stands in Waupaca City. It lies in ZIP code area 54981. The Survey maps it on the Waupaca quadrangle. 6,282 people lived here at the 2020 count.

Research this city

Waupaca within Waupaca County

On record in Waupaca

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 14 shown

Every listing in Waupaca County

Population over time

3 figures

Waupaca grew from 1,392 to 6,282 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
18801,392
20106,069
20206,282+213 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 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

240 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 240 fires within 5 miles of Waupaca between 1992 and 2020, burning about 180 acres in total. 7 started naturally. 5 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 burning79
Missing data/not specified/undetermined47
Equipment and vehicle use36
Railroad operations and maintenance20
Fireworks14
Smoking10
Natural7
Recreation and ceremony6
Other causes6
Misuse of fire by a minor6
Arson/incendiarism5
Power generation/transmission/distribution4

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
4 September 2006Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
23 September 2008Arson/incendiarismunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
23 September 1995Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
18 September 1999Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
15 September 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesLITTLE FEATHER -1 FIRE
15 September 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesLITTLE FEATHER - 2 FIRE
15 September 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesLITTLE FEATHER - 3 FIRE
15 September 2018Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesLITTLE FEATHER - 4 FIRE

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Waupaca 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 Waupaca: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. 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
A. Peterson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Scheider MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Scheider PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Waupaca County

Storms near this place

58 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Waupaca in 58 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 34 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 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
June 2004Tornado (F2)Waupaca$915,000no account filed
July 1996Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$180,000no account filed
July 2019Tornado (EF1)Waupaca$150,000A tornado formed south of Waupaca and moved east-northeast to near White Lake. The tornado damaged siding and shingles on six homes (DI 2, DOD 2) and an apartment in a new subdivision near the Waupaca Airport. The garage door of a newer home was blown completely in, causing damage to the roof of the house (DI 2, DOD 4). Another house had a small part of its roof heavily damaged. Numerous trees were also damaged along the path. Peak winds were estimated around 90 mph.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$50,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$39,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$2,000no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$1,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindWaupaca$1,000no account filed
March 2025HailWaupaca-Quarter size hail fell near Waupaca. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
March 2025HailWaupaca-Quarter size hail fell in Waupaca. The time of this report is an estimate based on radar data.
April 2020Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in Waupaca. The time of this event is an estimate based on radar data.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed trees in the Waupaca area.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and branches in Waupaca.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm wind gusts, estimated as high as 70 mph, downed trees in Waupaca.
July 2017HailWaupaca-Walnut size hail fell at Waupaca.
July 2017HailWaupaca-Penny size hail fell on Honey Bear Court, near Highway 49 northwest of Waupaca.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Waupaca. The time of this event was estimated based on radar data.
July 2015Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed trees as the storms passed through Waupaca. The time of this event was estimated based on radar data.
August 2014Flash FloodWaupaca-Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused street and basement flooding in downtown Waupaca. Overloaded storm sewers caused manhole covers to blow off in the city.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-An estimated wind gust of 75 mph was reported just east of the city of Waupaca.
June 2012HailWaupaca-Thunderstorms produced penny size hail at Waupaca.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-A thunderstorm produced penny size hail and strong winds. The winds from the storm downed tree branches in Waupaca.
May 2011HailWaupaca-A thunderstorm produced penny size hail and strong winds. The winds from the storm downed tree branches in Waupaca.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds knocked down large tree branches and a tree in the city of Waupaca.
July 2011HailWaupaca-A thunderstorm produced penny size hail in Waupaca.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorms winds downed trees and power lines in Waupaca.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed several trees between Waupaca and Iola.
July 2008Flash FloodWaupaca-Heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in the downtown area of Waupaca. Several roads were covered by fast flowing water and had to be temporarily closed until the water subsided. Radar estimated 2 to 3 inches of rain in less than two hours.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Trees reported down in and around the city of Waupaca.
July 2007HailWaupaca-The amateur radio operator who reported the hail also observed a non-rotating wall cloud.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-High winds from thunderstorms snapped and uprooted several trees along Highway 54. The snapped trees were up to 2 feet in diameter. Hail accompanied the strong winds, stripping corn stalks on a 1,000 acre farm between Waupaca and Weyauwega.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-Thunderstorm winds downed many large, up to 8 inches in diameter, tree branches north of Waupaca.
April 2006HailWaupaca-no account filed
April 2006HailWaupaca-no account filed
April 2006HailWaupaca-no account filed
May 2006HailWaupaca-no account filed
May 2006HailWaupaca-no account filed
July 2006Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
July 2005Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
August 2004Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
August 2004Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
August 2003Flash FloodWaupaca-no account filed
April 2003HailWaupaca-no account filed
April 2002HailWaupaca-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
March 2000HailWaupaca-no account filed
August 2000Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
July 1999Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
June 1999Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
September 1998HailWaupaca-no account filed
July 1997HailWaupaca-no account filed
June 1996HailWaupaca-no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
August 1995Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindWaupaca-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Waupaca 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
Little Hope3.0 miles8
King3.3 miles8
Parfreyville3.9 miles8
Granite Quarry (historical)4.2 miles8
Rural4.7 miles8
Chain O' Lakes4.9 miles8
Sheridan6.5 miles8
Baldwins Mill6.9 miles7

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 WaupacaAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1569794The 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 1576320. 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.