Boulder County, Colorado
40°05′N 105°22′W / 40.09°N 105.36°W
Boulder County | |
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UTC−6 (MDT) | |
Congressional districts | 2nd, 4th |
Website | www |
Boulder County is a
Boulder County comprises the Boulder, Colorado
History
Boulder County was one of the original 17 counties created by the
Before the arrival of the first US settlers, the area was occupied by
In late December 2021,
Geography
According to the
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
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 36 (Denver-Boulder Turnpike)
- U.S. Highway 287
- State Highway 7
- State Highway 42
- State Highway 52
- State Highway 66
- State Highway 72
- State Highway 93
- State Highway 119
- State Highway 170
- Northwest Parkway (tollway)
National protected areas
Rocky Mountain National Park is in Boulder County, Larimer County, and Grand County. Longs Peak, the park's highest summit at 4,345 meters (14,255 feet) elevation, is located in Boulder County.
State protected area
Scenic trails and byways
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
- Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway
Historic district
- Colorado Chautauqua National Historic District
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 1,939 | — | |
1880 | 9,723 | 401.4% | |
1890 | 14,082 | 44.8% | |
1900 | 21,544 | 53.0% | |
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% | |
2010 | 294,567 | 8.4% | |
2020 | 330,758 | 12.3% | |
2023 (est.) | 326,831 | [12] | −1.2% |
U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[1] |
As of the census
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.
In 2014, the median income for a household in the county was $69,407, and the median income for a family was $94,938.[18] Males had a median income of $65,489 versus $48,140 for females. About 7.0% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
In 2017, Bloomberg ranked the Boulder metropolitan area as the top "brain" area in the US.[19]
Government
Boulder County is divided into three 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 Board of County Commissioners are full-time public servants and 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.
Boulder County has seven other county-wide elected officials, including the District Attorney, who represents the 20th Judicial District.[20]
Elected officials
Name[21] | Office | Year Term Began | Year Re-Elected[22] |
---|---|---|---|
Claire Levy | County Commissioner |
2021 | |
Marta Loachamin | County Commissioner |
2021 | |
Ashley Stolzmann | County Commissioner |
2023 | |
Cynthia Braddock | Assessor |
2017 | 2018, 2023 |
Molly Fitzpatrick | Clerk and Recorder |
2018 | 2023 |
Emma R. Hall | Coroner | 2011 | 2014, 2018, 2023 |
Michael Dougherty | District Attorney |
2018 | |
Curtis Johnson | Sheriff | 2023 | |
Lee Stadele | Surveyor | 2015 | 2018, 2023 |
Paul Weissmann | Treasurer | 2015 | 2018, 2023 |
Politics
Boulder County went Republican in all but three presidential elections from 1920 to 1984, the exceptions being the national Democratic landslides of 1932, 1936 and 1964. However, it has swung heavily to the Democrats since the late 1980s, and has supported Democrats at every election since 1988. Since the 1990s, it has become one of the most liberal counties in Colorado; in most years, it is the second-strongest Democratic bastion in the state, behind only the City and County of Denver. The GOP has not crossed the 40% mark in the county since 1988. This tracks closely with the Democratic trend in other counties dominated by college towns.
In recent years, the GOP has turned in some of its worst showings in the county in memory. Republicans took less than 28% of the vote in Boulder County in both
In 2000, Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader took 11.82% of the vote in Boulder County, more than twice the 5.25% he took statewide in Colorado, and more than four times his 2.73% nationwide vote share.[23]
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 42,501 | 20.62% | 159,089 | 77.19% | 4,521 | 2.19% |
2016 | 41,396 | 22.00% | 132,334 | 70.34% | 14,415 | 7.66% |
2012 | 49,981 | 27.84% | 125,091 | 69.69% | 4,427 | 2.47% |
2008 | 44,904 | 26.14% | 124,159 | 72.29% | 2,700 | 1.57% |
2004 | 51,586 | 32.39% | 105,564 | 66.28% | 2,109 | 1.32% |
2000 | 50,873 | 36.44% | 69,983 | 50.12% | 18,770 | 13.44% |
1996 | 41,922 | 34.55% | 63,316 | 52.17% | 16,116 | 13.28% |
1992 | 33,553 | 26.47% | 64,567 | 50.93% | 28,651 | 22.60% |
1988 | 48,174 | 44.93% | 57,265 | 53.41% | 1,784 | 1.66% |
1984 | 53,535 | 55.06% | 42,195 | 43.40% | 1,493 | 1.54% |
1980 | 40,698 | 46.74% | 28,422 | 32.64% | 17,949 | 20.61% |
1976 | 42,830 | 52.71% | 33,284 | 40.96% | 5,139 | 6.32% |
1972 | 40,766 | 56.80% | 29,484 | 41.08% | 1,520 | 2.12% |
1968 | 27,671 | 57.66% | 17,422 | 36.30% | 2,895 | 6.03% |
1964 | 17,373 | 43.08% | 22,737 | 56.38% | 220 | 0.55% |
1960 | 19,791 | 61.47% | 12,276 | 38.13% | 130 | 0.40% |
1956 | 16,748 | 66.89% | 8,149 | 32.55% | 142 | 0.57% |
1952 | 15,069 | 65.29% | 7,767 | 33.65% | 243 | 1.05% |
1948 | 10,335 | 52.09% | 8,792 | 44.32% | 712 | 3.59% |
1944 | 10,054 | 57.09% | 7,442 | 42.26% | 114 | 0.65% |
1940 | 10,525 | 53.22% | 9,039 | 45.71% | 212 | 1.07% |
1936 | 7,244 | 41.39% | 9,788 | 55.93% | 469 | 2.68% |
1932 | 7,487 | 44.81% | 8,412 | 50.35% | 808 | 4.84% |
1928 | 9,457 | 67.48% | 4,363 | 31.13% | 195 | 1.39% |
1924 | 7,595 | 58.75% | 3,273 | 25.32% | 2,059 | 15.93% |
1920 | 6,456 | 57.91% | 4,200 | 37.67% | 492 | 4.41% |
1916 | 3,986 | 33.02% | 7,419 | 61.46% | 666 | 5.52% |
1912 | 2,445 | 23.02% | 4,330 | 40.77% | 3,845 | 36.21% |
1908 | 4,856 | 41.76% | 5,772 | 49.63% | 1,001 | 8.61% |
1904 | 5,483 | 53.90% | 4,030 | 39.62% | 659 | 6.48% |
1900 | 3,719 | 40.57% | 5,117 | 55.81% | 332 | 3.62% |
1896 | 1,033 | 14.33% | 6,046 | 83.87% | 130 | 1.80% |
1892 | 1,338 | 36.42% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,336 | 63.58% |
1888 | 1,639 | 54.98% | 1,176 | 39.45% | 166 | 5.57% |
1884 | 1,445 | 51.59% | 954 | 34.06% | 402 | 14.35% |
1880 | 1,313 | 54.66% | 796 | 33.14% | 293 | 12.20% |
Boulder County has also demonstrated its progressive leanings in referendums on social issues, such as in 2006, when nearly 2/3 of Boulder County voters voted to reject
Local courts
The
Boulder County has two combined courthouses:
- The Boulder County Justice Center is located in the City of Boulder and is headquarters to the 20th Judicial District of Colorado. The office of the district attorney is also here, as is the Juvenile Assessment Center, the county's combined assessment and detention facility.
- The Longmont Courthouse in the City of Longmont acts as an extension of the County Court and the District Attorney's Office.[26]
Communities
Cities
- Boulder
- Lafayette
- Longmont (partly in Weld County)
- Louisville
Towns
- Erie (partly in Weld County)
- Jamestown
- Lyons
- Nederland
- Superior (partly in Jefferson County)
- Town of Ward
Census-designated places
- Allenspark
- Altona
- Bark Ranch
- Bonanza Mountain Estates
- Coal Creek (partly in Gilpin County and Jefferson County)
- Crisman
- Eldora
- Eldorado Springs
- Glendale
- Gold Hill
- Gunbarrel
- Hidden Lake
- Lazy Acres
- Leyner
- Mountain Meadows
- Niwot
- Paragon Estates
- Pine Brook Hill
- Seven Hills
- St. Ann Highlands
- Sugarloaf
- Sunshine
- Tall Timber
- Valmont
Other unincorporated communities
- Caribou
- Canfield
- Gooding
- Hygiene
- Highland
- Liggett
- Morey
- Pinecliffe
- Pleasant View Ridge (partly in Weld County)
- Tabor
Education
School districts serving Boulder County include:[27]
- Boulder Valley School District RE-2
- Estes Park School District R-3
- St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J
- Thompson School District R-2J
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
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- National Archives.
- ISBN 978-1-4035-0045-8.
- ^ "How big was the Marshall Fire? Comparing the Colorado blaze to past destructive events". Sacbee.com. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ "Identity of final person missing from Marshall fire confirmed as investigators uncover bone fragments". www.cpr.org. January 22, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "Colorado Wildfires Burn Hundreds of Homes, Force Evacuations". Dfw.cbslocal.com. December 30, 2021.
- ^ "Videos show Marshall Fire started by 2 separate ignition points less than a mile apart". 9news.com. March 7, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- ^ "$12 million donated to Boulder County Wildfire Fund". Kusa.com.
- ^ "2 missing, 991 homes destroyed in Marshall Fire". KUSA.com. December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "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. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ Vincent Del Giudice; Wei Lu; Agnel Philip (October 10, 2017). "The Smartest Americans Are Heading West". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ "Boulder County Board of County Commissioners". Boulder County. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2009.
- ^ "Elected Officials". Boulder County. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Boulder County 2022 General Election Unofficial Results". Boulder County 2022 General Election Unofficial Results. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ^ "20th Judicial District/Boulder County". Colorado State Courts. Archived from the original on January 27, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2009.