Longmont, Colorado
| Longmont, Colorado | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 40°10′18″N 105°6′33″W / 40.17167°N 105.10917°WCoordinates: 40°10′18″N 105°6′33″W / 40.17167°N 105.10917°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Counties[1] | Boulder County Weld County |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Incorporated | November 15, 1885[2] |
| Named for | Stephen Harriman Long and Longs Peak |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home Rule Municipality[1] |
| • Mayor | Dennis Coombs (List) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 21.8 sq mi (56.4 km2) |
| • Land | 21.8 sq mi (56.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation[3] | 4,984 ft (1,519 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 86,270 |
| • Density | 3,261.1/sq mi (1,260.5/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP codes[4] | 80501-80504 |
| Area code(s) | Both 303 and 720 |
| FIPS code | 08-45970 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0202560 |
| Website | City of Longmont |
Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The city is located northeast of the county seat of Boulder and 31 miles (50 km) north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Its population was 86,270 at the 2010 census. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado.
The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H. Long that is clearly visible from Longmont, and "mont" from the French word for mountain.
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History [edit]
Longmont was founded in 1871 by a group of people from Chicago, Illinois. Originally called the Chicago-Colorado Colony, the men sold memberships in the town and with the proceeds purchased the land necessary for the town hall. As the first planned community in Boulder County, the city streets were laid out in a grid plan in a square mile. The city began to flourish as an agricultural community after the building of the Colorado Central Railroad line arrived northward from Boulder in 1877. In the 1940s the city began to grow beyond these original limits. In the 1960s the federal government located an air-traffic control center in town and IBM built a large plant near the city. As agriculture waned, more high technology has come to the city including companies like Seagate and Amgen. In April 2009 GE Energy relocated their control solutions business to the area. The downtown along Main Street, once nearly dead during the 1980s, has seen a vibrant revival in the last decade, and into the turn of the century. In the mid-1990s, the south edge of the city became the location of the first New Urbanist project in Colorado, called Prospect New Town, designed by renowned architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk.
- Further information on Longmont's history, see The Official City of Longmont History and the Longmont Museum & Cultural Center.
Geography [edit]
Longmont is located at 40°10′18″N 105°06′33″W / 40.171583°N 105.109085°W.[5] Elevation is about 1525 meters (approx. 5000 feet) above sea level. Official designation for elevation is at Main Street and the St. Vrain River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.8 square miles (56 km2), of which, 21.8 square miles (56 km2) of it is land and 0.05% is water.
Longmont is an exurb[citation needed] of Denver, on U.S. Highway 287.
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 773 |
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| 1890 | 1,543 | 99.6% | |
| 1900 | 2,201 | 42.6% | |
| 1910 | 4,256 | 93.4% | |
| 1920 | 5,843 | 37.3% | |
| 1930 | 6,029 | 3.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,406 | 22.8% | |
| 1950 | 8,099 | 9.4% | |
| 1960 | 11,489 | 41.9% | |
| 1970 | 23,209 | 102.0% | |
| 1980 | 42,942 | 85.0% | |
| 1990 | 51,555 | 20.1% | |
| 2000 | 71,093 | 37.9% | |
| 2010 | 86,270 | 21.3% | |
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As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 86,270 people residing in the city. The population density was 3,262.3 people per square mile (1,259.7/km²). There were 27,394 housing units at an average density of 1,257.0 per square mile (485.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was:
- 84.76% White
- 0.54% African American
- 0.97% Native American
- 1.76% Asian
- 0.06% Pacific Islander
- 9.76% from other races
- 2.2% from two or more races.
- Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.07% of the population.
There were 26,667 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,174, and the median income for a family was $58,037. Males had a median income of $40,978 versus $29,582 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,409. About 5.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education [edit]
In September 2010, the Institute of Business & Medical Careers opened its newest campus in Longmont. The college provides professional training, preparation, and career support for students interested in a career in the business or medical professions.[7]
Longmont is home to the Boulder County Campus of Front Range Community College.
Longmont also offers a variety private schools. Well known private schools in the area include Bloom! Montessori School [1].
Transportation [edit]
Longmont is part of the RTD transit district that provides local and regional bus service to Denver and Boulder, Colorado.
Outside of RTD, Longmont is connected to Fort Collins, Loveland, and Berthoud via a FLEX regional bus service.
In 2012 the city was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Silver-level bicycle friendly community. Longmont is one of 38 communities in the United States to be recognized with this distinction. It is the only Colorado city at the silver level that isn't a major tourist hub or a university town.[8]
Media [edit]
The Longmont Times-Call (official web site Longmont Times-Call) is the local daily newspaper.
Radio stations include KRCN, non-commercial KGUD, and KKFN "The Fan," offering sports talk. Country music is heard on KWOF "The Wolf," broadcasting from a tower about 10 miles southeast of Longmont. Also located nearby is KKZN "AM760" with a progressive talk format. The KKZN transmitter site is located about 15 miles east of Boulder.
NPR programming can be heard on Colorado Public Radio stations KCFR from Denver, and KCFC AM in Boulder. NPR affiliate KUNC from the Ft. Collins-Greeley market, can also be heard in Longmont.
Longmont is also served by Pacifica Radio affiliate KGNU, a non-commercial community radio station from Boulder.
Economy [edit]
According to the Longmont Area Economic Council,[9] the top eleven employers in Longmont are:
- St. Vrain Valley Schools (regional school district) with 4875 employees
- Longmont United Hospital with 1282 employees
- Seagate Technology with 1160 employees
- City of Longmont with 814 employees
- Amgen with 789 employees
- Intrado with 762 employees
- Federal Aviation Administration with 540 employees
- DigitalGlobe with 437 employees
- McLane Western with 425 employees
- Butterball, LLC formerly ConAgra (which operates a turkey processing plant) closed Dec 2011[10]
Government [edit]
This is a list of Mayors of Longmont.[11]
Notable people [edit]
- Vance D. Brand, former astronaut[12]
- Greg Biekert, professional football player (played football for Longmont High School[13])
- John R. Kelso, U.S. Representative and author (lived and died in Longmont)[14]
- David Pauley, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers[15]
- Kristen Schaal, comedian and actress, grew up in Longmont[16]
- Dan Simmons, author (1990 Hugo Award winner)[17]
- William Oxley Thompson, Pastor of Central Presbyterian Church (Longmont), President of Longmont Presbyterian College, President of Miami University (Ohio), President of The Ohio State University.
Sister cities [edit]
Longmont is a sister city of these municipalities:
See also [edit]
- Outline of Colorado
- State of Colorado
- Chivington Drive, the council took the decision to rename the city street following two decades of protests that it honored Colonel John Chivington who was responsible for the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864.
- List of mayors of Longmont, Colorado
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ IBMC Purpose
- ^ Wegrzyn, Magdalena. "Longmont More Bike-Friendly Than Ever". Longmont Times Call Newspaper. Longmont Times Call Newspaper. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ Longmont Area Economic Council (October 2009). "LONGMONT AREA TOP EMPLOYERS" (PDF). Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ Wallace, Alicia (June 28, 2008). "Butterball cuts 209 jobs in Longmont". Daily Camera. Retrieved February 15, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Mayors of Longmont since 1881". City of Longmont. November 13, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: V.D. Brand". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. April 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
- ^ "Looking back at Colorado's best". Denver Post. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ "KELSO, John Russell". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
- ^ "David Pauley Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
- ^ The Kooky Monster – The Age, March 13, 2008. Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
- ^ Evans, Clay (February 7, 2007). "Myth and madness in the frozen north". Boulder Daily Camera. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
External links [edit]
- City of Longmont
- CDOT map of the City of Longmont
- History of Longmont
- Longmont Times-Call (local newspaper)
- Longmont Channel 8 (Public-access television station)
- Visit Longmont (Longmont Area Visitors Association)
- Free Range Longmont (Longmont news blog)
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