Erie, Colorado | |
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| Town of Erie | |
| Motto(s): Your Future is Here expERIEnce | |
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  Erie Location of the Town of Erie, Colorado. Show map of the United States Erie Erie (Colorado) Show map of Colorado | |
| Coordinates:40°03′01″N105°03′00″W / 40.0503°N 105.0500°W /40.0503; -105.0500 (Erie, Colorado)[3] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Counties | Weld[2] Boulder County |
| Settled | 1867 |
| Incorporated | November 16, 1874[4] |
| Government | |
| • Type | statutory town[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.838 sq mi (51.379 km2) |
| • Land | 19.737 sq mi (51.118 km2) |
| • Water | 0.101 sq mi (0.261 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,026 ft (1,532 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 30,038 |
| • Density | 1,521.9/sq mi (587.62/km2) |
| • CSA | 3,623,560 (17th) |
| • Front Range | 5,055,344 |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes[6] | 80514 & 80516 |
| Area codes | 303/720/983 |
| GNIS place ID | 178731 |
| GNIS town ID | 2412599 |
| FIPS code | 08-24950 |
| Major highways |      |
| Website | www |
TheTown of Erie is astatutory town located inWeld andBouldercounties,Colorado, United States.[1] The town population was 30,038 at the2020 United States census, a +65.64% increase since the2010 United States census.[5] At the 2020 census, 17,387 (58%) Erie residents lived in Weld County and 12,651 (42%) lived in Boulder County. Erie is a part of theDenver-Aurora-Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area and theFront Range Urban Corridor. Erie is the most populous statutory town in Colorado.
Erie is located just west ofInterstate 25, with easy access toInterstate 70,Denver International Airport and Colorado's entireFront Range. Erie's Planning Area spans 48 square miles (120 km2), extending from the north side ofState Highway 52 south toState Highway 7, and betweenUS 287 on the west and Interstate 25 to the east.[7] Erie is approximately 35 minutes from Denver International Airport, 25 minutes fromDenver and 20 minutes fromBoulder.
In the mid-1860s, coal was discovered in southwestern corner ofWeld County in theTerritory of Colorado.[8] Erie was originally settled in 1867 and named afterErie, Pennsylvania, the former home of early settlerRichard Van Valkenburg.[9]
In 1870, railway service was established by the Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad, and in 1871, the Denver & Boulder Valley Railroad was built through the area, connectingBoulder andBrighton.[8] The Erie, Colorado Territory, post office opened on Jan 24, 1871,[10] and the Town of Erie was incorporated on November 16, 1874.[1] The first board of trustees consisted of five permanent and prominent members of the community; George Meller,Richard Van Valkenburg, John T. Williams, Joseph J. Wharton and John A. Rowe.[11] The first school was established in 1874, with 33 students enrolling.[8]
Although local residents had mined coal for a decade, the first official underground coal mine in Erie opened in 1876; operated by Ira Austin.[11] The railroads facilitated coal transport to the nearby communities and to Denver, helping the town grow quickly.[12] Erie was unique among local coal mining towns because the local coal miners actually owned land or houses in town, instead of setting up temporary camps.[11] Thus it became the greatest coal mining town in Colorado.[11]
The first school building was erected in 1881, with 100 students enrolled. In 1907, the school was replaced by the larger brick Lincoln School, which soon became inadequate due to the town's growth, and four new rooms had to be added in 1920. The over crowding was alleviated in 1929, with the construction of the new high school. Eventually, the Lincoln School was abandoned all together, and a new elementary school was constructed in 1966.[8]
The first church was established in 1883, the Welsh Presbyterian Church, with services conducted in Welsh. By 1888, there was a United Methodist Church and in 1898, the St. Scholasticas Catholic Church was dedicated.[8] In 1884, the first newspaper was founded by Charles D. Bell; called the Erie-Canfield Independent, it continued publishing until 1896.[8] The Erie Herald was established in 1907 and published for far longer than other short lived newspapers, serving the community until 1948.[11]
Erie was one of the only "wet" towns in the area and by 1895, boasted eleven saloons on Briggs Street.[11] This resulted in the need for a jail, constructed in 1876, and a constable. The earliest known constable in Erie was B.C. "Bud" Pitchford.[11] Erie was hit by major floods in 1890, 1921, and 1972. The floods devastated the town, and a dike was built around nearby Coal Creek after the 1972 flood. Erie was also hard-hit by the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression, the latter of which led to a decline in coal output. Demand for coal dropped afterWorld War II, and most of the mines in the Erie area were closed by 1960, with the Eagle Mine closing in 1978.[8]
Erie is located in the southwest corner of Weld County and extends west into eastern Boulder County. It is bordered to the south by the city ofBroomfield and to the southwest by the city ofLafayette.Interstate 25 forms part of the eastern border of the town, leading south 22 miles (35 km) to downtownDenver and north 41 miles (66 km) toFort Collins. Erie is served by Exit 232 off I-25.
At the2020 United States census, the town had a total area of 12,696 acres (51.379 km2) including 64 acres (0.261 km2) of water.[5]
| Climate data for Erie, Co (1991-2020 precipitation normals)Elevation: 5,111 feet (1,558 metres). Lat: 40.0486° N Lon: 105.0333° W | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageprecipitation inches | 0.57 | 0.61 | 1.57 | 1.89 | 2.60 | 1.58 | 1.80 | 1.44 | 1.60 | 1.21 | 0.77 | 0.53 | 16.17 |
| Averageprecipitation mm | 14 | 15 | 40 | 48 | 66 | 40 | 46 | 37 | 41 | 31 | 20 | 13 | 411 |
| Source:NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 358 | — | |
| 1890 | 662 | 84.9% | |
| 1900 | 697 | 5.3% | |
| 1910 | 596 | −14.5% | |
| 1920 | 697 | 16.9% | |
| 1930 | 930 | 33.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,019 | 9.6% | |
| 1950 | 937 | −8.0% | |
| 1960 | 875 | −6.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,090 | 24.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,254 | 15.0% | |
| 1990 | 1,258 | 0.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,291 | 400.1% | |
| 2010 | 18,135 | 188.3% | |
| 2020 | 30,038 | 65.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 38,594 | [14] | 28.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the2010 Census there were 18,186 people in the Town of Erie. According to the2009 American Community Profile, the racial makeup of the town was 90.6%White, 0.3%African American, 0.1%Native American, 4.1%Asian, 0.00%Pacific Islander, 2.4% fromother races, and 2.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 9.7% of the population.
According to theTown of Erie Community Development Department, there were 6,485 households. According to the US Census the average household size was 2.91.
Population: Under 5 years - 9.6%, 5 to 9 years - 10.3%, 10 to 14 years - 7.4%, 15 to 19 years - 5.4%, 20 to 24 years - 2.7%, 25 to 29 years - 4.9%, 30 to 34 years - 8.1%, 35 to 39 years - 10.4%, 40 to 44 years - 9.8%, 45 to 49 years - 8.5%, 50 to 54 years - 7.25%, 55 to 59 years - 5.5%, 60 to 64 years - 4.5%, 65 to 69 years - 2.5%, 70 to 74 years - 1.4%, 75 to 79 years - 0.9%, 80 to 84 years - 0.5%, 85 and older - 0.35%.
The median income for a household in the town was $99,804, and the median income for a family was $108,058. Theper capita income for the town was $38,965.
The Board of Trustees serves as the legislative and governing body of the town of Erie and is responsible for establishing town policies and goals. The board has the authority to adopt laws, ordinances and resolutions as needed to conduct the business of the town, and by ordinance may enter into contracts or intergovernmental agreements to furnish, receive services or to provide for cooperative service delivery.
Appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees, the Town Administrator is the chief operating and administrative officer of the town and is responsible for providing professional leadership in the administration and execution of policies and objectives formulated by the board.
Erie Municipal Airport (EIK) is owned and operated by the Town of Erie and is located on Colorado Highway 7, a little over three miles west of Interstate 25. The main runway is concrete paved and 4,700 feet (1,400 m) long.
There is an active group of artists in Erie; the Arts Coalition of Erie (a 501(c)(3) represents about 70 artists, or approximately 60% of the artists in town. There are good venues for art at the Erie Community Center and High Plains Library, and shows change about every two months.
The Art Center of Erie (known as the A.C.E.) at 625 Pierce Street in Old Town Erie is open for visual and performing arts programs and is operated by the Arts Coalition of Erie. Classes and events are held year round at the site (an old children's library owned by the Town of Erie) leased by the Arts Coalition of Erie.
The town has an airport, theErie Municipal Airport.I-25 to the east, E470 to the south, State Highway 7, and State Highway 52 are the major roads for transportation through Erie.
Surrounding communities | |
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Municipalities and communities ofWeld County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Trading posts | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofBoulder County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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