Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County | |
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UTC−6 (MDT) | |
Congressional districts | 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th |
Website | www |
Jefferson County is a
Jefferson County is included in the
In 2010, the center of population of Colorado was located in Jefferson County.[3]
The county's slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", and it is commonly nicknamed Jeffco. The name Jeffco is incorporated in the name of the Jeffco School District, the Jeffco Business Center Metropolitan District No. 1, and several businesses located in Jefferson County. Jeffco is also incorporated in the unofficial monikers of many Jefferson County agencies. The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport operated by Jefferson County was previously known as the Jeffco Airport.
A major employer in Jefferson County is the large Coors Brewing Company in Golden. Also, the state-supported Colorado School of Mines, a university specializing in mining, geology, chemistry, and engineering is located in Jefferson County.
History
On August 25, 1855, the
In June 1858,
The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, but during his last week in office,
Geography
According to the
Adjacent counties
Jefferson County is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as ten counties.
- Boulder County – north
- City and County of Broomfield – northeast
- Adams County – east
- City and County of Denver – east
- Arapahoe County – east
- Douglas County – east
- Teller County – south
- Park County – southwest
- Clear Creek County – west
- Gilpin County – northwest
Major highways
- Interstate 70
- I-70 BS
- U.S. Highway 6
- U.S. Highway 40
- U.S. Highway 285
- State Highway 8
- State Highway 58
- State Highway 72
- State Highway 74
- State Highway 75
- State Highway 93
- State Highway 121
- State Highway 391
- State Highway 470
- Chatfield Ave
- 44th Ave
Recreational areas
- Alderfer/Three Sisters Park
- Apex Park
- Bear Creek Lake Park
- Centennial Cone Park
- Clear Creek Canyon Park
- Coal Creek Canyon
- Crown Hill Park
- Deer Creek Canyon Park
- Elk Meadow Park
- Evergreen Lake
- Fairmount Trail
- Flying J Ranch Park
- Hildebrand Ranch Park
- Hiwan Homestead Museum
- Lair o' the Bear Park
- Lewis Meadows Park
- Lookout Mountain Nature Center
- Matthews/Winters Park
- Meyer Ranch Park
- Mount Falcon Park
- Mount Galbraith Park
- Mount Glennon
- Mount Lindo
- North Table Mountain Park
- Pine Valley Ranch Park
- Ranson/Edwards Homestead Ranch
- Reynolds Park
- Sister City Park
- South Table Mountain Park
- South Valley Park
- Standley Lake Regional Park
- Van Bibber Park
- Welchester Tree Grant Park
- White Ranch Park
- Windy Saddle Park
- Urban Trails
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 2,390 | — | |
1880 | 6,804 | 184.7% | |
1890 | 8,450 | 24.2% | |
1900 | 9,306 | 10.1% | |
1910 | 14,231 | 52.9% | |
1920 | 14,400 | 1.2% | |
1930 | 21,810 | 51.5% | |
1940 | 30,725 | 40.9% | |
1950 | 55,687 | 81.2% | |
1960 | 127,520 | 129.0% | |
1970 | 233,031 | 82.7% | |
1980 | 371,753 | 59.5% | |
1990 | 438,430 | 17.9% | |
2000 | 527,056 | 20.2% | |
2010 | 534,543 | 1.4% | |
2020 | 582,910 | 9.0% | |
2023 (est.) | 576,366 | [8] | −1.1% |
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1] |
As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 527,056 people, 206,067 households, and 140,537 families residing in the county. The population density was 683 people per square mile (264 people/km2). There were 212,488 housing units at an average density of 275 people per square mile (106 people/km2). The racial makeup of the county was
- 90.59%White0.89%African American0.75%Native American2.28%Asian0.08%Pacific Islander3.23%
from other races9.95% of the population were eitherLatinoof any race2.18% in two or more races
There were 206,067 households, out of which 33.40% had children under age 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, of those 6.30% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 3.03 persons.
In the county, the population ages were spread out:
- 25.30%
under age 18 8.10%aged 18–24 32.10%aged 25–44 24.90%aged 45–64 9.60%65 years of age or older The median age was 37 years.
For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $57,339, and the median income for a family was $67,310. Males had a median income of $45,306 versus $32,372 for females. The
According to a report in the
Education
The sole school district serving the county is
- Private schools
- Higher Education
- Colorado Christian University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Red Rocks Community College
- Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Jefferson County Public Library is the county library system.
Government and infrastructure
- The Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood is in unincorporated Jefferson County.[16]
- The Rocky Flats Plant produced nuclear weapons in Jefferson County from 1952 until 1989.
- The Jefferson County Public Library, established in 1952.
- The Jefferson County Government Center, also known as the "Taj Mahal".
- The Denver Federal Center, the largest concentration of federal government agencies outside of Washington, D.C., is located in Lakewood.
Government
The Board of County Commissioners operates as the governing body of the county. Established in 1861, the board consists of three commissioners who are elected at-large to four-year terms. The board sets policies that guide county programs and operations which serves residents and businesses. There are several elected officials that oversee a department or aspect of county operations.[17]
District | Commissioner | Party |
---|---|---|
District 1 | Tracy Kraft-Tharp | Democratic |
District 2 | Andy Kerr | Democratic |
District 3 | Lesley Dahlkemper | Democratic |
Title | Official | Party |
---|---|---|
Assessor | Scot Kersgaard | Democratic |
Clerk and Recorder | Amanda Gonzalez | Democratic |
Coroner | Dr. Annette Cannon | Democratic |
District Attorney | Alexis King | Democratic |
Sheriff | Regina "Reggie" Marinelli | Democratic |
Surveyor | Robert Hennessy | Republican[19] |
Treasurer | Gerald "Jerry" DiTullio | Democratic |
Sheriff's office
The Jefferson County Sheriff is an oldest elective office in Jefferson County (along with Clerk and Recorder, Assessor and Treasurer) and among the very first popularly elected offices in Colorado, established in 1859 with the first Sheriff, Walter Pollard, elected on January 2, 1860.[20] Its office holders over the course of over 150 years have included some of the most noted law enforcement officers in Colorado history.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office responded to the 1999
The current county sheriff is Regina "Reggie" Marinelli.[25] She was in elected 2022 and became the first woman to do so in county history and became the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly a century. She previously worked in the county Sheriff's Office for over 30 years.[26]
Politics
Jefferson County was a Republican stronghold for most of the 20th century. However, it has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 2008, consistent with the general trend in the Denver metropolitan area. In 2020, Joe Biden won the largest percentage for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1916.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 148,417 | 39.33% | 218,396 | 57.88% | 10,545 | 2.79% |
2016 | 138,177 | 42.01% | 160,776 | 48.89% | 29,930 | 9.10% |
2012 | 144,197 | 46.36% | 159,296 | 51.21% | 7,559 | 2.43% |
2008 | 131,628 | 44.61% | 158,158 | 53.60% | 5,282 | 1.79% |
2004 | 140,644 | 51.79% | 126,558 | 46.60% | 4,366 | 1.61% |
2000 | 120,138 | 51.02% | 100,970 | 42.88% | 14,383 | 6.11% |
1996 | 101,517 | 48.41% | 89,494 | 42.67% | 18,712 | 8.92% |
1992 | 82,705 | 37.05% | 80,834 | 36.22% | 59,664 | 26.73% |
1988 | 110,820 | 56.39% | 81,824 | 41.64% | 3,867 | 1.97% |
1984 | 124,496 | 68.92% | 53,700 | 29.73% | 2,432 | 1.35% |
1980 | 97,008 | 59.66% | 41,525 | 25.54% | 24,078 | 14.81% |
1976 | 87,080 | 60.44% | 52,782 | 36.64% | 4,211 | 2.92% |
1972 | 80,082 | 69.88% | 31,555 | 27.54% | 2,960 | 2.58% |
1968 | 50,847 | 56.90% | 31,392 | 35.13% | 7,118 | 7.97% |
1964 | 33,398 | 43.48% | 43,162 | 56.19% | 252 | 0.33% |
1960 | 34,105 | 59.62% | 22,962 | 40.14% | 137 | 0.24% |
1956 | 25,398 | 63.71% | 14,270 | 35.80% | 197 | 0.49% |
1952 | 19,971 | 63.05% | 11,509 | 36.34% | 194 | 0.61% |
1948 | 9,903 | 51.29% | 9,145 | 47.36% | 260 | 1.35% |
1944 | 9,815 | 57.20% | 7,277 | 42.41% | 68 | 0.40% |
1940 | 8,780 | 52.81% | 7,745 | 46.59% | 100 | 0.60% |
1936 | 5,271 | 41.10% | 7,283 | 56.79% | 271 | 2.11% |
1932 | 5,522 | 45.83% | 6,023 | 49.99% | 503 | 4.17% |
1928 | 6,754 | 69.09% | 2,880 | 29.46% | 141 | 1.44% |
1924 | 4,869 | 63.69% | 1,271 | 16.63% | 1,505 | 19.69% |
1920 | 3,593 | 61.52% | 1,941 | 33.24% | 306 | 5.24% |
1916 | 2,040 | 36.60% | 3,368 | 60.42% | 166 | 2.98% |
1912 | 1,011 | 18.87% | 2,309 | 43.10% | 2,037 | 38.03% |
1908 | 2,623 | 48.58% | 2,583 | 47.84% | 193 | 3.57% |
1904 | 2,903 | 60.76% | 1,739 | 36.40% | 136 | 2.85% |
1900 | 1,807 | 44.79% | 2,138 | 53.00% | 89 | 2.21% |
1896 | 300 | 8.41% | 3,176 | 88.99% | 93 | 2.61% |
1892 | 792 | 42.86% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,056 | 57.14% |
1888 | 970 | 52.92% | 767 | 41.84% | 96 | 5.24% |
1884 | 845 | 50.97% | 743 | 44.81% | 70 | 4.22% |
1880 | 832 | 49.55% | 790 | 47.05% | 57 | 3.39% |
Recreation
State parks
National forests and wilderness
National wildlife refuges
Historic trail
Recreational trails
- American Discovery Trail
- Apex National Recreation Trail
- Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail
- Colorado Trail
- Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
- Two Ponds National Recreation Trail
Scenic byway
Golf course
Communities
Cities
- Arvada (part)
- Edgewater
- Golden
- Lakewood
- Littleton (part)
- Westminster (part)
- Wheat Ridge
Towns
- Bow Mar (part)
- Lakeside
- Morrison
- Mountain View
- Superior (part)
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
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 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Centers of Population by State: 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^ "Historically Jeffco 2011". Jefferson County Historical Commission. 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 168.
- Thirty-sixth United States Congress. February 28, 1861. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 25, 2004. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
- ^ "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 (Report). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^ Historical Census Browser. UVA Libraries (Report). University of Virginia. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^ Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 (Report). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^ Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 (PDF) (Report). Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. PHC-T-4. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census" (main website). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^
Dwyer-Lindgren, Laura (May 8, 2017). "Inequalities in life expectancy among U.S. counties, 1980 to 2014". JAMA Internal Medicine. 177 (7): 1003–1011. PMID 28492829.
- ^ "FCI Englewood Contact Information Archived February 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Leadership | Jefferson County, CO". www.jeffco.us. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "Jefferson County Elected Officials". Jefferson County Democratic Party. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Republican Party Officials - Jefferson County Republican Party". Jefferson County Republicans. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "The Western Mountaineer". January 11, 1860 – via www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org.
- ^ "Klebold family plans to sue Jeffco".
- ^ "Judge dismisses all but one Columbine lawsuit". CNN. November 27, 2001. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "Parents sue JeffCo". Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ "Judge dismisses all but one Columbine lawsuit". CNN. November 27, 2001. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ "Jefferson County Sheriff Regina Marinelli officially steps into new role - CBS Colorado". www.cbsnews.com. January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ Leary, Jaime (November 15, 2022). "Jefferson County Sheriff-elect Regina Marinelli is first woman to lead the agency, and first Democrat in almost a century". CBS Colorado. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 26, 2020.