Elizabeth, Colorado

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Elizabeth, Colorado
Elizabeth Colorado.JPG
Old Town Elizabeth, Colorado.
Elbert County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Elizabeth Highlighted 0823740.svg
Location of the Town of Elizabeth in Elbert County, Colorado.
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Elizabeth
Location of the Town of Elizabeth, Colorado.
USA Colorado relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Elizabeth
Elizabeth (Colorado)
Coordinates: 39°21′37″N104°35′49″W / 39.3603°N 104.5969°W / 39.3603; -104.5969 (Elizabeth, Colorado) [2]
Country United States
State Colorado
County Elbert [3]
Incorporated October 9, 1890 [4]
Government
  Type statutory town [1]
  MayorNick Snively
  Mayor Pro TemLinda Secrist
Area
[5]
  Total
1.999 sq mi (5.178 km2)
  Land1.999 sq mi (5.178 km2)
  Water0 sq mi (0.000 km2)
Elevation
[2]
6,477 ft (1,974 m)
Population
 (2020) [5]
  Total
1,675
  Density838/sq mi (324/km2)
   Metro
2,963,821 (19th)
   CSA
3,623,560 (17th)
   Front Range
5,055,344
Time zone UTC−07:00 (MST)
  Summer (DST) UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP code [6]
80107
Area codes 303/720/983
GNIS place ID 185149
GNIS town ID 2412474
FIPS code 08-23740
Website www.townofelizabeth.org

Elizabeth is the statutory town that is the most populous municipality in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. [1] The town population was 1,675 at the 2020 United States census, a +23.34% increase since the 2010 United States census. [5] Elizabeth is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Contents

History

Elizabeth was originally a saw mill camp. [7] The town was later named after a family member of John Evans, a territorial governor. [8] The Elizabeth, Colorado, post office opened on April 24, 1882, [9] and the Town of Elizabeth was incorporated on October 9, 1890. [1]

In August 2024, the Elizabeth School District’s School Board removed 19 books from school libraries because they included what the Board deemed to be ‘sensitive’ topics. Students, parents and authors sued the Elizabeth School District in federal court, and in March 2025 they won a preliminary injunction requiring that all 19 of the removed books be immediately returned to the browsing shelves of school libraries and prohibiting the Elizabeth School Board from removing any other library books due to its disagreement with the content and/or viewpoint of those books. [10]

Geography

Elizabeth is located in western Elbert County at coordinates 39°21′37″N104°35′49″W / 39.3603°N 104.5969°W / 39.3603; -104.5969 (Elizabeth, Colorado) and elevation 6,477 feet (1,974 m). [2]

At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of 1,280 acres (5.178 km2), all of it land. [5]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1900 215
1910 194−9.8%
1920 23018.6%
1930 26615.7%
1940 2753.4%
1950 263−4.4%
1960 32624.0%
1970 49351.2%
1980 78960.0%
1990 8183.7%
2000 1,43475.3%
2010 1,358−5.3%
2020 1,67523.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census [11] of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 496 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,670.6 inhabitants per square mile (645.0/km2). There were 513 housing units at an average density of 597.6 per square mile (230.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.00% White, 0.07% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 3.49% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.00% of the population.

There were 496 households, out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.27.

The population breakdown was 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,596, and the median income for a family was $51,902. Males had a median income of $38,875 versus $25,066 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,902. About 7.8% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Elizabeth is home to the weekly newspaper the Meadowlark Herald, [12] which is also the only newspaper wholly owned and published in Elbert County. The Elbert County News, The Ranchland News, The West Elbert County Sun, and The Prairie Times also publish Elbert County news and distribute widely in the county.

Elizabeth is also the hometown of author and stand-up comedian Sam Tallent. [13]

Infrastructure and transport

Elizabeth Town Hall Elizabeth, Colorado town hall.JPG
Elizabeth Town Hall

Colorado State Highway 86 bisects the town, leading east 7 miles (11 km) to Kiowa and west 15 miles (24 km) to Castle Rock. Denver is 40 miles (64 km) to the northwest via Franktown and Parker. The town lays in between the Gold Creek and Box Elder Creek (locally known as the Running Creek). No public transport exists in Elizabeth. [14]

A group of three separate unmarked turf airstrips exist to Elizabeth's southeast, though has no commercial service. Elizabeth is located equidistantly to Denver and Colorado Springs, with both cities' primary airports, Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport, serving as the closest major air gateways to Elizabeth. [14] [15]

Education

It is in the Elizabeth School District. [16]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs . Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Elizabeth, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  3. "Colorado Counties". Colorado Department of Local Affairs . Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  4. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
  5. 1 2 3 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.
  6. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service . Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  7. "History". Town of Elizabeth. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  8. Dawson, John Frank (1954). Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 20.
  9. Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN   0-918654-42-4.
  10. Sweeney, Charlotte (March 19, 2025). "Order in Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-03512-CNS-STV" (PDF). US District Court for the District of Colorado. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  12. http://www.meadowlarkherald.blogspot.com [ user-generated source ]
  13. "Comedian/Author Sam Tallent on the pen, the mic and the future". November 15, 2023. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Dropped Pin". maps.apple.com. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  15. "Airports Near Me - Elizabeth, Colorado | Travelmath". www.travelmath.com. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  16. Geography Division (December 17, 2020). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Elbert County, CO (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved 2025-10-28. - Text list
  17. Toomer, Lindsey (2024-11-26). "Colorado's Greg Lopez reflects on six-month stint as a member of Congress". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
  18. "Forbes profile: John Malone". Forbes. Retrieved May 18, 2020.