Commerce City, Colorado
Commerce City, Colorado | |
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City of Commerce City[1] | |
Website | www |
The City of Commerce City is a
History
In 1859 after fighting in
Among the first establishments in the modern Commerce City were cemeteries. Riverside Cemetery, founded in 1876, is located in the city's southwest corner at East 52nd Avenue and Brighton Boulevard. Rose Hill Cemetery, in the heart of historic Commerce City, was established in 1892 on what at the time was an open plain by the United Hebrew Cemetery Association.
The first school in the area began in 1871 as a one-room schoolhouse, with other schools added in 1899 and later in 1907. This latter school is now part of the North Building at the former site of
Several towns were founded in this part of Adams County in the 19th century. Derby, a Burlington Railroad station in 1887, was laid out as a town in 1889, although it was largely vacated by 1891. Irondale was first settled in 1889, named after a foundry that was opened that year. It was incorporated as the town of Irondale in 1924, but unincorporated in the 1930s due to increasing vacancy. Meanwhile, Adams City was laid out in 1903, with developers hoping the county seat would be established there; however, Brighton was elected county seat in 1904 and Adams City was vacated in 1922.
Until the late 1920s, the area was devoted to agriculture, including wheat fields, dairies, and pig farms. Industry moved in, with a refinery established in 1930 and grain elevators built in the late 1930s. Rocky Mountain Arsenal was founded in 1942 due east of the growing community.
In 1946 and 1947,
The Mile High Kennel Club, a greyhound racing park founded in 1949, is no longer operational. With the onset of widespread off-track gambling, the physical moving of races around the country to different parks became unnecessary. The City of Commerce City has purchased the land with future development use unknown at this time.
A new Adams City High School has been constructed on land at 72nd and Quebec streets. This was formerly part of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. The new school campus opened in 2009.[11]
Geography
Commerce City, Colorado, recognized for its distinctive geographic and developmental areas, comprises the core city—often referred to as the heart of Commerce City—and the expansive Northern Range, also known as Commerce City North[12].[13] Mayor Steve Douglas's administration acknowledges these two distinct regions, emphasizing a strategic approach to development that addresses their unique characteristics and potential. This recognition is instrumental in guiding the city's growth and development initiatives, aiming for balanced and inclusive advancement across both areas[14]
Commerce City is located at 39°50′27″N 104°54′4″W / 39.84083°N 104.90111°W (39.840735, -104.901139).[15]
At the
Climate
Climate data for Commerce City, Colorado | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47 (8) |
48 (9) |
56 (13) |
63 (17) |
72 (22) |
82 (28) |
88 (31) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
66 (19) |
54 (12) |
45 (7) |
65.3 (18.5) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22 (−6) |
23 (−5) |
29 (−2) |
36 (2) |
44 (7) |
51 (11) |
57 (14) |
56 (13) |
48 (9) |
38 (3) |
28 (−2) |
21 (−6) |
37.75 (3.19) |
Source: Accuweather[16] |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1960 | 8,970 | — | |
1970 | 17,407 | 94.1% | |
1980 | 16,234 | −6.7% | |
1990 | 16,466 | 1.4% | |
2000 | 20,991 | 27.5% | |
2010 | 45,913 | 118.7% | |
2020 | 62,418 | 35.9% | |
U.S. Decennial Census |
As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 20,991 people, 6,668 households, and 4,974 families residing in the city. The population density was 812.2 inhabitants per square mile (313.6/km2) under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males.
The racial makeup of the city was 74.15% White, 3.39% African American, 1.23% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 13.15% from other races, and 5.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race are 46.8% of the population.
The median income for a household in the city was $69,268 and the median wage in the city was $54,340. The labor force was 28,684 with 31,086 jobs residing within the city. About 15.3% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the
Industry
Over 1,400 companies call Commerce City home, ranging from international and national headquarters to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Commerce City is home to an oil refinery with a capacity of 98,000 barrels per day (15,600 m3/d).[8] Originally, this facility existed as two separately owned refineries, one on each side of Brighton Boulevard.
Suncor Energy bought the west refinery from ConocoPhillips in 2003.[18] A project to upgrade this facility began in August of that year.[19]
Suncor purchased the east refinery from
The west refinery's upgrade project, named "Project Odyssey," was extended to the east refinery. The west plant was shut down in February 2006 to complete the upgrade, while the east plant continued to refine 34,000 barrels (5,400 m3) of oil per day. The completion of the $445 million project was announced in June 2006 and allows Suncor to meet the EPA's mandate to reduce the
Education
Adams County school districts
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Commerce City include:
- Ronnie Bradford (born 1970), football defensive back[23]
- Dominick Moreno (born 1985), Colorado state legislator[24]
- Joe Rogers (1964–2013), former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado[25]
- JoAnn Windholz, Colorado state legislator[26]
In popular culture
Denver-based band DeVotchKa recorded a song called "Commerce City Sister".
See also
- Colorado
- List of counties in Colorado
- List of municipalities in Colorado
- List of places in Colorado
- List of statistical areas in Colorado
- Front Range Urban Corridor
- North Central Colorado Urban Area
- Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area
- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
References
- ^ a b c d "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- ^ "2014 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on September 3, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
- ^ a b "Suncor Energy acquires second refinery near Denver, Colorado". June 1, 2005. Archived from the original (News release) on October 16, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
- ^ a b "Suncor Refining and Marketing". suncor.com. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ISBN 0-930952-01-4.
- ^ "Commerce City voters keep name the same". The Denver Post. April 3, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ Whaley, Monte. "Old Adams City High School to be renovated". Denver Post. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ISSN 2469-7672.
- ISSN 1361-1682.
- ^ https://www.c3gov.com/government/elections/steve-douglas
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Commerce City Weather". Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Raabe, Steve (November 30, 2003). "Canada's sands of gold". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on May 12, 2004. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
- ^ "Suncor Energy's Commerce City refinery maintenance shutdown to begin February 3" (News release). Suncor Energy. February 2, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
- State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment. June 16, 2005. Archived from the originalon September 23, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
- ^ "Environmental and operational enhancements complete - Suncor Energy completes upgrade to its Commerce City refinery". Decisionplus.com. June 26, 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2006.
- ^ Kirk, Alexander; Jordan Chavez (August 13, 2018). "No more Mondays for students in this Denver metro school district". 9 News. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ O'Brien, David (August 2, 1993). "Playing By The Book Dolphins Rookie Ronnie Bradford Is A Student Of The Game". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "Dominick Moreno's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ^ "Joe Rogers, Colorado's second black lieutenant governor, has died". The Denver Post. October 8, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "JoAnn Windholz, Rep. R-Commerce City, discusses powdered alcohol bill". The Denver Post. January 23, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2016.