Calhan, Colorado

Calhan, Colorado
Statutory town [1]
Town of Calhan [1]
Motto:  "Highest Incorporated Non-Mountain Town in the U.S."
Location of the Town of Calhan in El Paso County, Colorado
Calhan Location of the Town of Calhan in the United States
Coordinates: 39°02′04″N104°17′58″W / 39.03444°N 104.29944°W / 39.03444; -104.29944 [2]
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	El Paso County [1]
Incorporated	May 10, 1919 [3]
Government
• Type	Statutory town [1]
Area [4]
• Total	2.144 km2 (0.828 sq mi)
• Land	2.144 km2 (0.828 sq mi)
• Water	0.000 km2 (0.000 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	1,991 m (6,532 ft)
Population  (2020) [4]
• Total	762
• Density	356/km2 (921/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP code	80808 [5]
Area code	719
FIPS code	08-11260
GNIS feature ID	2413149 [2]
Major Highways
Website	www.calhan.co

The Town of Calhan is a statutory town located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. ^[1] The town population was 762 at the 2020 United States Census. ^[4] Calhan is a part of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. The town straddles U.S. Highway 24. With Calhan sitting at an elevation of 6,535 feet (1,992 meters) above sea level, Calhan is the highest non-mountain town in the United States. ^[6]

History

Calhan was established in 1888 as a water station for the now-defunct Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, with the first steam locomotive arriving on November 5, 1888. The town was named by and for Michael Calahan, who had the contract to lay railroad tracks from the Colorado/Kansas border to Colorado Springs. However, when the town's first U.S. Post Office opened on November 24, 1888, the middle "a" had been dropped and the town was registered as "Calhan." ^[7] The town was incorporated as a statutory town in 1919. The town grew quickly, but it was not until 1906 that the Calhan Rock Island Railroad Depot was built to meet the growing needs of the area.

Jesse N. Funk was a rancher in Calhan when the United States joined the First World War in 1917. Having enlisted in 1915, Private Funk was sent to France to support the Allied efforts at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. There on October 31, 1918, Funk rescued two wounded officers from no man's land while under machine gun fire, for which Funk received the Medal of Honor. ^[8]

In 1993, the Orthodox Church in America established the Protection of the Holy Virgin community, a female monastic community. Until they moved further west to Lake George in 1995, the monastics rented a home in Calhan. ^[9]

Geography

The Calhan cemetery

At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 530 acres (2.144 km²), all of it land. ^[4]

Climate

Calhan has a cold semi-arid climate, characterised by the low levels of rainfall and the cold temperatures.

Climate data for Calhan, Colorado
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	43 (6)	45 (7)	52 (11)	60 (16)	69 (21)	79 (26)	86 (30)	82 (28)	75 (24)	63 (17)	51 (11)	42 (6)	62 (17)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	15 (−9)	18 (−8)	25 (−4)	32 (0)	42 (6)	50 (10)	56 (13)	55 (13)	45 (7)	34 (1)	23 (−5)	16 (−9)	34 (1)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.23 (5.8)	0.27 (6.9)	0.77 (20)	1.48 (38)	2.20 (56)	2.28 (58)	2.61 (66)	2.68 (68)	0.97 (25)	0.78 (20)	0.42 (11)	0.27 (6.9)	14.96 (381.6)
Source: The Weather Channel [10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	399		—
1940	352		−11.8%
1950	375		6.5%
1960	347		−7.5%
1970	465		34.0%
1980	541		16.3%
1990	562		3.9%
2000	896		59.4%
2010	780		−12.9%
2020	762		−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, there were 896 people, 347 households, and 246 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,204.1 inhabitants per square mile (464.9/km²). There were 376 housing units at an average density of 505.3 units per square mile (195.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.99% White, 0.22% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.

There were 347 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,735, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $32,135 versus $24,659 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,266. About 3.7% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Jesse N. Funk, Medal of Honor, World War I
• Trista Vick-Majors, Antarctic researcher

Education

Students are served by Calhan School District RJ-1.

Attractions

• Calhan Rock Island Railroad Depot
• Calhan Paint Mines Archeological District
• The El Paso County Fair
• Calhan Summer Fest, held the Friday before the El Paso County Fair opens
• The annual Homecoming Parade, held in late September/early October
• Annual Christmas Parade of Lights held in December
• El Paso County Speedway

Transportation

U.S. Highway 24 runs directly through town. Calhan is served by U.S. 24 as it heads to Limon from Colorado Springs.

See also

• Colorado portal

• South Central Colorado Urban Area
• Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area

References

1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs . Retrieved October 15, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Calhan, Colorado
3. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
4. "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
5. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on September 3, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
6. "Calhan, Colorado". Uncover Colorado. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
7. Larry l. King (1987). The History of Calhan and Vicinity 1888–1988. Gaddy Printing Company. p. 10. ISBN   0-9619442-0-X.
8. "Medal of Honor recipients - World War I". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. June 8, 2009. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
9. "Protection of the Holy Virgin Monastery". oca.org. Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
10. "Average Weather for Castle Rock, CO". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

• Town of Calhan website
• CDOT map of the Town of Calhan
• Calhan High School