Adams County, Colorado
Adams County | |
---|---|
UTC−6 (MDT) | |
Congressional districts | 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th |
Website | www |
Fifth most populous Colorado county |
Adams County is a
History
On May 30, 1854, the
In 1859,
The eastern portion of the
In 1901, the
A 1989 vote transferred 53 square miles (140 square kilometers) of Adams County to the
Geography
According to the
Adams County surrounds (and surrendered the land for) most of
Adjacent counties
- Weld County – north
- Morgan County – northeast
- Washington County – east
- Arapahoe County – south
- City & County of Denver– southeast
- Jefferson County – west
- City & County of Broomfield – northwest
Major highways
- Interstate 25
- Interstate 70
- Interstate 76
- Interstate 225
- I-70 BS
- U.S. Highway 6
- U.S. Highway 36
- U.S. Highway 40
- U.S. Highway 85
- U.S. Highway 87
- State Highway 2
- State Highway 7
- State Highway 36
- State Highway 40
- State Highway 44
- State Highway 79
- State Highway 128
- State Highway 224
- State Highway 265
- E-470 (tollway)
National protected area
State park
Historic trail
Recreational trails
- American Discovery Trail
- Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail
- Highline Canal National Recreation Trail
- Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Recreation Trail
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1910 | 8,892 | — | |
1920 | 14,430 | 62.3% | |
1930 | 20,245 | 40.3% | |
1940 | 22,481 | 11.0% | |
1950 | 40,234 | 79.0% | |
1960 | 120,296 | 199.0% | |
1970 | 185,789 | 54.4% | |
1980 | 245,944 | 32.4% | |
1990 | 265,038 | 7.8% | |
2000 | 363,857 | 37.3% | |
2010 | 441,603 | 21.4% | |
2020 | 519,572 | 17.7% | |
2023 (est.) | 533,365 | [6] | 2.7% |
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[2] |
As of the census
There were 128,156 households, out of which 37.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.50% had someone who was 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.60% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,323, and the median income for a family was $52,517. Males had a median income of $36,499 versus $28,053 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,944. About 6.50% of families and 8.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholics (with 60,429 members) and
Government
Adams County has a Board of Commissioners that operate as a collective governing board. There are five members that form the Board of Commissioners with each elected to represent a district or portion of the county.[14] There are other elected officials that oversee an aspect or department of county operations.
District | Commissioner | Party |
---|---|---|
District 1 | Eva J. Henry | Democratic |
District 2 | Charles "Chaz" Tedesco | Democratic |
District 3 | Emma Pinter | Democratic |
District 4 | Steve O'Dorisio | Democratic |
District 5 | Lynn Baca | Democratic |
Title | Official | Party |
---|---|---|
Assessor | Ken Musso | Democratic |
Clerk and Recorder | Josh Zygielbaum | Democratic |
Coroner | Monica Broncucia-Jordan | Democratic |
District Attorney | Brian Mason | Democratic |
Sheriff | Gene Claps | Democratic |
Surveyor | Bryan Douglass | N/A |
Treasurer and Public Trustee | Alex Villagran | Democratic |
Politics
Adams County is predominately Democratic, not having voted Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the county without a majority, becoming the first Democrat to do so since her husband Bill Clinton in 1992. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden easily won the county with a majority of the vote, a percentage similar to Barack Obama in 2012 and 2008 but with a much larger vote count.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 95,657 | 40.41% | 134,202 | 56.69% | 6,881 | 2.91% |
2016 | 80,082 | 41.35% | 96,558 | 49.86% | 17,037 | 8.80% |
2012 | 70,972 | 40.12% | 100,649 | 56.90% | 5,272 | 2.98% |
2008 | 63,976 | 39.86% | 93,445 | 58.22% | 3,080 | 1.92% |
2004 | 65,912 | 48.22% | 69,122 | 50.57% | 1,643 | 1.20% |
2000 | 47,561 | 44.10% | 54,132 | 50.19% | 6,159 | 5.71% |
1996 | 36,666 | 38.92% | 48,314 | 51.28% | 9,234 | 9.80% |
1992 | 30,856 | 29.93% | 45,357 | 44.00% | 26,864 | 26.06% |
1988 | 43,163 | 45.87% | 49,464 | 52.57% | 1,467 | 1.56% |
1984 | 55,092 | 60.20% | 35,285 | 38.56% | 1,134 | 1.24% |
1980 | 42,916 | 50.50% | 31,357 | 36.90% | 10,702 | 12.59% |
1976 | 35,392 | 45.30% | 40,551 | 51.90% | 2,184 | 2.80% |
1972 | 40,372 | 60.79% | 24,170 | 36.39% | 1,870 | 2.82% |
1968 | 24,343 | 43.87% | 25,111 | 45.25% | 6,039 | 10.88% |
1964 | 15,652 | 30.42% | 35,498 | 68.99% | 304 | 0.59% |
1960 | 18,452 | 46.36% | 21,168 | 53.19% | 178 | 0.45% |
1956 | 12,778 | 52.23% | 11,470 | 46.89% | 215 | 0.88% |
1952 | 8,995 | 54.89% | 7,321 | 44.68% | 71 | 0.43% |
1948 | 6,240 | 57.83% | 4,419 | 40.95% | 132 | 1.22% |
1944 | 4,933 | 54.43% | 4,101 | 45.25% | 29 | 0.32% |
1940 | 4,767 | 50.16% | 4,674 | 49.18% | 62 | 0.65% |
1936 | 3,124 | 38.33% | 4,865 | 59.69% | 162 | 1.99% |
1932 | 2,812 | 36.69% | 4,554 | 59.41% | 299 | 3.90% |
1928 | 4,031 | 63.10% | 2,265 | 35.46% | 92 | 1.44% |
1924 | 2,931 | 56.33% | 1,209 | 23.24% | 1,063 | 20.43% |
1920 | 2,510 | 57.57% | 1,633 | 37.45% | 217 | 4.98% |
1916 | 1,165 | 33.93% | 2,120 | 61.74% | 149 | 4.34% |
1912 | 398 | 14.10% | 1,312 | 46.48% | 1,113 | 39.43% |
1908 | 1,301 | 49.06% | 1,232 | 46.46% | 119 | 4.49% |
1904 | 1,115 | 50.89% | 1,041 | 47.51% | 35 | 1.60% |
Education
The school districts serving Adams County are:[17]
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools
- Adams-Arapahoe School District 28J
- Adams County School District 14
- Bennett School District 29-J
- Byers School District 32J
- Deer Trail School District 26J
- Mapleton School District 1
- School District 27J
- Strasburg School District 31J
- Weld County School District RE-3J
- Westminster Public School District
- Wiggins School District RE-50J
The county is also home to the Westminster campus of Front Range Community College, the largest community college by enrollment in Colorado.
Communities
Cities
- Arvada (part)
- Aurora (part)
- Brighton (part)
- Commerce City
- Federal Heights
- Northglenn (part)
- Thornton (most)
- Westminster (part)
Town
Census-designated places
- Berkley
- Derby
- North Washington
- Shaw Heights
- Sherrelwood
- Strasburg (mostly in Arapahoe Co.)
- Todd Creek
- Twin Lakes
- Watkins (mostly in Arapahoe Co.)
- Welby
Other unincorporated communities
- Adams City
- Barr Lake
- Cabin Creek
- Comanche
- Dupont
- Eastlake
- Hazeltine
- Henderson
- Leader
- Living Springs
- Manila
License plate code
Up until 1999 when Colorado ceased coding license plates by county, Adams County used the following codes on license plates issued to passenger vehicles: TE-UF, GA-GG, SAA-SEW, and SEY-TZZ.[18]
In popular culture
Adams County was featured as the fictional rival of South Park's peewee hockey team in the South Park episode "Stanley's Cup".
See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
- Front Range Urban Corridor
References
- ^ a b Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 23.
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b "State Government History". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. April 18, 2001. Archived from the original on November 30, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2006.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ "County Membership Reports". thearda.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ "County Membership Reports". thearda.com. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
- ^ "Board of County Commissioners | Adams County Government". adcogov.org. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Elected Officials | Adams County Government". adcogov.org. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 19, 2022. - Text list
- ^ "Colorado County Codes". www.15q.net. Retrieved April 12, 2018.