By May, 500 people had arrived to take up residence in the new colony. The name Union Colony was later changed to Greeley in honor of Horace Greeley.[11][12][13]
Greeley is located just west of the area previously occupied by theOverland Trail station of Latham, originally called the Cherokee City Station. The Latham station, which was also known as Fort Latham, was built in 1862 and named in honor ofMilton S. Latham, one of California's early senators. The stagecoach station was at the confluence of theSouth Platte River and theCache la Poudre River. It is believed that the birth of thefirst white child born in Colorado, a girl, occurred there.[citation needed] Fort Latham was the headquarters of the government troops during the Indian conflicts of 1860–1864 and the county seat; the post office was called Latham.[14][better source needed]
Greeley was incorporated as a city on April 6, 1886.[15]
Greeley was built on farming and agriculture, but kept up with most modern technologies as they grew. Telephones were in town by 1883 with electric lights downtown by 1886.[15] Automobiles were on the roads alongside horse drawn buggies by 1910.[15] A Women's Citizens League was established there to support female suffrage.[16]
In June 2012, Greeley became the first city in the state of Colorado to implement SB11-273, known as theLaw of Common Consumption,[18] allowing for patrons of the Downtown Greeley Entertainment District to buy drinks in "Go-Cups" from participating downtown establishments.
On May 28, 2024, a severe hailstorm impacted the eastern side of the city, covering some areas in over one foot of hail (~30.5 cm) and causing one fatality.[19] Mayor John Gates signed a local disaster declaration due to major flooding and hail. City officials stated that the cost of damage to the city was over $1.45 million.[20]
Greeley experiences asemi-arid climate (KöppenBSk). High temperatures are generally around 90–95 °F (32 °C) in the summer and 40-45 °F (4 °C) in the winter, although significant variation occurs. The hottest days generally occur around the third week of July and the coldest in January. Nighttime lows are near 60 °F (16 °C) in the summer and around 15–20 °F (−9 °C) in the winter. Record high temperatures of 112 °F (44.4 °C) have been recorded, as have record low temperatures of –25 °F (–32 °C). The first freeze typically occurs around October 4 and the last around May 4.Extratropical cyclones which disrupt the weather for the eastern two-thirds of the US often originate in or near Colorado, which means Greeley does not experience many fully developed storm systems. Warm fronts, sleet, and freezing rain are practically nonexistent here. In addition, the city's proximity to theRocky Mountains and lower elevation, compared to the mountains west of the city, result in less precipitation and fewerthunderstorms. This is paradoxical, because adjacent areas (mostly farmland) experience between 7 and 9hail days per year.[22]
The climate in Greeley, as well as all of Colorado, is extremely dry. TheChinook winds coming off the mountains often raise temperatures to near 70 °F (21 °C) in January and February, and sometimes to near 90 °F (32 °C) in April. Greeley's elevation and low year-round humidity means that nighttime low temperatures are practically never above 68 °F (20 °C), even in the hottest part of the summer. The diurnal temperature range is usually rather wide, with a 50-degree (Fahrenheit) difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows not uncommon, especially in the spring and fall. Rapid day-to-day anddiurnal fluctuation in temperature is also common.
Climate data for Greeley, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1967–present
Greeley, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2021 American Community Survey 1-year estimates,[29] there were 109,340 people and 38,381 households in the city. The age distribution shows 80,882 residents are age 18 and older and 28,458 residents are under 18 years of age. The age distribution of the population showed 30.1% from 0 to 19, 8.8% from 20 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% ages 65+. The median age was 31.7 years old. The gender distribution was 48.2% male and 51.8% female. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
Out of 38,381 total households, 26,460 (68.9%) were family households where at least one member of the household was related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. 11,921 (31.1%) households were non-family households consisting of people living alone and households which did not have any members related to the householder. Of the 26,460 family households, 12,578 (47.5%) had children under the age of 18 living with them.
The population density was 2,234.5 inhabitants per square mile (862.7/km2). There were 40,510 housing units at an average density of 828.4 per square mile (319.8/km2).
The median income for a household in the city was $64,853, and the median income for a family was $75,477. Males had a median, full-time income of $52,730 versus $44,348 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $30,195.
13.8% of families and 17.4% of the population had income below thepoverty line during the 12 months prior to being surveyed. For people with incomes below the poverty line, 20.5% of those were under age 18 and 9.1% were age 65 or over.[30]
Of Greeley residents age 25 and over, 23% were high school graduates (no college) and 26% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[31]
Among the companies based in Greeley are the meatpackerJBS USA (originally Monfort of Colorado, Inc.), the contractorHensel Phelps Construction, and the Colorado/Kansas operations of natural gas utilityAtmos Energy.
In August 2010,Leprino Foods announced plans for a new $270 million factory in Greeley. Construction began in July 2010, and consisted of three phases.[32] The final phase was finished in 2017, and 500 people are currently employed at the facility.[33]
The Union Colony Civic Center, a performing arts facility in Greeley
In 2014 the Greeley Creative District was certified as an official Creative District by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.[35]
First known as the Greeley Spud Rodeo in 1922, the summer celebration was renamed the Greeley Independence Stampede by 1972. This locally famous event typically lasts nearly two weeks leading up to Independence Day. Including events like a demolition derby, rodeos, carnival rides and games, food vendors, live musical performances, and even a 4th of July parade, this yearly tradition has grown to draw-in visitors from neighboring cities and states. The average yearly attendance is nearly 250,000.[36]
Greeley is home to theUnion Colony Civic Center, one of the largest performing arts venues in Colorado.[citation needed] The 1,686-seat Monfort Concert Hall hosts touring Broadway musicals, concerts, comedians, along with regional and local performing arts groups. The 214-seat Hensel Phelps Theatre hosts the Stampede Troupe in addition to lectures, meetings, and smaller performances. The Tointon Gallery presents a dozen exhibits annually by local, regional, and national artists, and is free to the public.
Owned and operated by the City of Greeley, the Union Colony Civic Center sponsors many events held by the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greeley Chorale, and the Stampede Troupe theater company.
Greeley operates under acouncil-manager system of government, where the city council, composed of seven members, adopts laws and policies for the city, in addition to establishing priorities. This council includes elected members from each of the four wards, two at-large members, and the mayor.
In 2021, there were an estimated 20,442 children ages 5–18 living in Greeley, about 18.7% of the population.[37] Most areas in Greeley and the neighboringEvans lie inGreeley-Evans School District 6. This public school district operates twopreschool programs, 11 elementary schools, sixK–8 schools, four middle schools (grades 6–8), one junior high school (grades 7–9), three traditional and three non-traditional high schools, and one K–12 online school.[38] The school district also operates the Poudre Learning Center, a community resource focused on providing educational programming about theCache la Poudre river. Many public schools offer one or moremagnet programs, which enable students from around the district to attend public schools other than their assigned neighborhood school to participate in a unique educational program. Examples includeGreeley West High School'sInternational Baccalaureate and agriculture programs,Greeley Central High School's arts magnet program, andNorthridge High School's science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and horticulture programs.
In addition to the school district's own schools, it also charters and oversees six charter schools:University Schools (K–12),Frontier Academy (K–12), West Ridge Academy (K–8), Salida del Sol (K–8, bilingual school), Union Colony Elementary School (K–5), Union Colony Preparatory School (6–12).[39] The district also partially is affiliated with four "community partner" preschools, which are private preschools all or partially funded and overseen by the school district.[40][41] Many of the district's charter high schools and non-traditional public high schools maintain a relationship withAims Community College and/or theUniversity of Northern Colorado to provide supplemental courses for high school students.
There are at least five wholly private primary or secondary schools inside the Greeley city limits: St. Mary's Catholic School (P–7), Dayspring Christian School (P–12), Trinity Lutheran School (P–6), Adventure Child Care Center (P–6), and the Colorado Heritage Educational School System (K–12). There are at least three private preschools: #1 Child Enrichment-Superior Childcare, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Preschool, and ABC Central.[42] In Colorado, private schools are considered businesses and are not regulated by theColorado Department of Education or local school boards. In 2021, the Greeley-Evans school district reported 229 students who are home-schooled full-time; some number of these students may be affiliated with a private school for record-keeping purposes and some may attend public or charter schools for a few courses, making the exact number of home-schooled students in Greeley difficult to specify.[43]
Founded in 1871, the Greeley Police Department is one of the ten largest police departments in Colorado, employing 64 non-sworn members, and 157 sworn members.[46]
Since 2006, the Greeley Police Department has received more than $2.3 million of tactical military equipment from theUnited States Department of Defense.[47]
Public transportation in Greeley is provided byGreeley-Evans Transit (GET), which operates seven local bus routes across Greeley.[48] Since January 2, 2020, GET operates a regional bus service called the Poudre Express which connects Greeley toFort Collins andWindsor. Express Arrow also operates buses toDenver andBuffalo, Wyoming, stopping at multiple other cities along the way. Air service is routed through Greeley–Weld County Airport.
Greeley is a sister city toMoriya, a city located in Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture. The cities host a collaborative student exchange program—on odd-numbered years the City of Greeley sponsors ten high-school students to visit Moriya for a week, and on even-numbered years Greeley hosts students from the city.[57] From 2020 until at least 2022, the student exchange aspect of the program was temporarily suspended due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
^abWorster, Donald (1985)Rivers of Empire: Water, Aridity, and the Growth of the American West. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.83-84.ISBN0-19-507806-3
^Cristi, A. A. (August 25, 2021)."The 8th Annual AgriCulture Feast at Centennial Village Museum Will Feature Food & Music By Colorado Talent".BroadwayWorld. RetrievedOctober 27, 2021.Guests will enjoy appetizers and drinks provided by local brewers and be entertained by local musicians, including a new University of Northern Colorado doctoral student/ graduate teaching assistant, Edward W. Hardy, as they experience the Centennial Village Museum grounds and gardens. Local agricultural producers will share their stories and meet and greet friends.
^Robert Siegel (May 6, 2003)."Sayyid Qutb's America: Al Qaeda Inspiration Denounced U.S. Greed, Sexuality".NPR.Egyptian writer and educator Sayyid Qutb spent the better half of 1949 in Greeley, Colo., studying curriculum at Colorado State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Colorado. What he saw prompted him to condemn America as a soulless, materialistic place that no Muslim should aspire to live in.
^"The Poor Kid".Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 15, 2020 – via www.imdb.com.
.jpg)
