Boulder County, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Boulder County, Colorado | |
Location in the state of Colorado |
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Colorado's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Boulder |
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| Largest city | Boulder |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
751 sq mi (1,945 km²) 742 sq mi (1,922 km²) 9 sq mi (23 km²), 1.19% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
291,288 391/sq mi (151/km²) |
| Founded | November 1, 1861 |
| Named for | large granite boulders in area |
| Website | www.co.boulder.co.us |
| Footnotes:
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Boulder County is the sixth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 282,304 in 2006.[1] The county seat is the City of Boulder. The Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area comprises Boulder County.
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[edit] History
Boulder County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Territory of Colorado on 1861-11-01. The county was named for Boulder City and Boulder Creek, so named because of the abundance of boulders in the area. Boulder County retains essentially the same borders as in 1861, although a 27.5 square miles (71.2 km²)of its southeastern corner and its approximate population of 40,000 became part of the City and County of Broomfield in 2001.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 751 square miles (1,946 km²), of which, 742 square miles (1,923 km²) of it is land and 9 square miles (23 km²) of it (1.19%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Larimer County, Colorado - north
- Weld County, Colorado - east
- City and County of Broomfield, Colorado - southeast
- Jefferson County, Colorado - south
- Gilpin County, Colorado - south
- Grand County, Colorado - west
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Larimer County | ![]() |
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| Grand County | Weld County | |||
| Jefferson County and Gilpin County | City and County of Broomfield |
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 21,544 |
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| 1910 | 30,330 | 40.8% | |
| 1920 | 31,861 | 5.0% | |
| 1930 | 32,456 | 1.9% | |
| 1940 | 37,438 | 15.4% | |
| 1950 | 48,296 | 29.0% | |
| 1960 | 74,254 | 53.7% | |
| 1970 | 131,889 | 77.6% | |
| 1980 | 189,625 | 43.8% | |
| 1990 | 226,374 | 19.4% | |
| 2000 | 271,651 | 20.0% | |
| Est. 2008 | 293,161 | 7.9% | |
| sources:[2][3] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 271,651 people, 114,680 households, and 68,808 families residing in the county. The population density was 392 people per square mile (151/km²). There were 119,900 housing units at an average density of 162 per square mile (62/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.54% White, 0.88% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 3.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. 10.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 114,680 households out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.00% were non-families. 26.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 13.40% from 18 to 24, 33.60% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 102.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,861, and the median income for a family was $70,572. Males had a median income of $48,047 versus $32,207 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,976. About 4.60% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.60% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Boulder County is divided into three individual districts each represented by a commissioner elected county-wide. The three commissioners comprise the county Board of Commissioners and represent the county as a whole. Each commissioner must reside in their respective district and may be elected to a maximum of two four-year terms. The current commissioners are Ben Pearlman (vice-chair), Will Toor, and Cindy Domenico (chair).
The Board of County Commissioners are full-time public servants and as such approve the budget for the entire County government. The Board also oversees the management of 10 County departments and the daily operations of the county, work that is done by a county manager or a chief administrative officer in some counties.
In addition to the commissioners Boulder County has seven other county-wide elected officials including the District Attorney, who represents the 20th Judicial District.[5]
[edit] Judicial
The 20th Judicial District of Colorado serves and is solely encompassed by all of Boulder County. As of 2009 the district is served by 8 district court judges, 5 county court judges, and 6 magistrates. Boulder County has two combined court houses: the Boulder County Justice Center located in the City of Boulder that acts as headquarters to the judicial district, the District Attorney, the Sheriff's Office, and the Juvenile Assessment Center (the county's combined assessment & detention facility) and the Longmont Courthouse in the City of Longmont that acts as an extension of the County Court and the District Attorney's Office.[6]
[edit] Elected Officials
| Name | Office | Year Elected | Year Re-Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Pearlman | County Commissioner | 2004 | 2008 |
| Will Toor | County Commissioner | 2004 | 2008 |
| Cindy Domenico | County Commissioner | 2007/2008* | |
| Jerry Roberts | Assessor | 2007/2008** | |
| Hillary Hall | Clerk and Recorder | 2006 | |
| Tom Faure | Coroner | 2002 | 2006 |
| Stanley L. Garnett | District Attorney | 2008 | |
| Joe Pelle | Sheriff | 2002 | 2006 |
| Jason Emery | Surveyor | 2002 | 2006 |
| Bob Hullinghorst | Treasurer | 2002 | 2006 |
*Cindy Domenico was appointed in July 2007 to fill Tom Mayer's seat after he passed away in June 2007. In 2008, voters elected Domenico to complete the remainder of the term which runs through 2010.
**Jerry Roberts was appointed in July 2007 to replace Cindy Domenico who was elected to the post of Boulder County Commissioner. In 2008, voters elected Roberts to complete the remainder of the term which runs through 2010.
[edit] Cities, towns, and named places
- Allenspark (unincorporated CDP)
- Boulder
- Caribou (unincorporated ghost town)
- Coal Creek (unincorporated CDP, locally called Coal Creek Canyon, also partly in Gilpin County and Jefferson County)
- Eldora (unincorporated CDP)
- Eldorado Springs (unincorporated CDP)
- Erie (also partly in Weld County)
- Gold Hill (unincorporated CDP)
- Gunbarrel (unincorporated CDP)
- Hygiene (unincorporated)
- Jamestown
- Lafayette
- Longmont
- Louisville
- Lyons
- Nederland
- Niwot (unincorporated CDP)
- Superior
- Ward
[edit] Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is located in Boulder County, Larimer County, and Grand County. Longs Peak, the park's highest summit at 4345 meters (14,255 ft) elevation, is located in Boulder County.
[edit] State park
[edit] Historic district
[edit] National forest and wilderness
[edit] Scenic trail and byway
[edit] See also
- Jackson County, Jefferson Territory
- Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Colorado census statistical areas
- Colorado counties
- Colorado metropolitan areas
- Colorado municipalities
- Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area
- Front Range Urban Corridor
[edit] References
- ^ "Annual County Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Change: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CO-EST2006-alldata)" (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2007-03-22. http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/files/CO-EST2006-ALLDATA.csv. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
- ^ census.gov Colorado population by county, 1900-90 accessed 2009-05-12
- ^ quickfacts.census.gov - Boulder County accessed 2009-05-12
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Boulder County Board of County Commissioners". http://www.bouldercounty.org/bocc/.
- ^ "20th Judicial District/Boulder County". http://www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/District/Index.cfm/District_ID/20.
[edit] External links
- Boulder County Government website
- Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
- Colorado Historical Society
- Rocky Mountain National Park website
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