Adams County, Colorado - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Adams County is the fifth most populous of the 64 counties

Colorado counties

The U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...

of the state of Colorado of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

estimates that the county population was 441,603 in 2010 census, a 21.4% increase since 2000 census. Adams County is named for Alva Adams

Alva Adams (governor)

Alva Adams was an American politician. He was born in Iowa County, Wisconsin. He served as the fifth, tenth and 14th Governor of Colorado from 1887 to 1889, 1897 to 1899, and briefly in 1905. He died in Battle Creek, Michigan.Adams County, Colorado, is named for Alva Adams, and it's believed the...

, Governor of the State of Colorado 1887-1889, 1897-1899, and 1905. The county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

is Brighton

Brighton, Colorado

Brighton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Adams County. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 31,380 in 2008.-Geography:...

. Adams County is part of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area

Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area

thumb|300px|Map of the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaThe Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area located in the Denver region of the state of Colorado...

History

On May 30, 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, opening new lands for settlement, and had the effect of repealing the Missouri Compromise of 1820 by allowing settlers in those territories to determine through Popular Sovereignty if they would allow slavery within...

created the Territory of Nebraska and Territory of Kansas, divided by the Parallel 40° North

40th parallel north

The 40th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 40 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....

(168th Avenue

Baseline Road (Colorado)

Baseline Road is a major east-west street in Boulder, Colorado that extends east of the city through parts of four counties. The western terminus of Baseline Road is at Flagstaff Mountain in the City of Boulder Mountain Parks. The eastern terminus is at 16800 Watkins Road, about east of Lochbuie...

in present-day Adams County). The future Adams County, Colorado, occupied a strip of northern Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory

Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory

Arapahoe County was a county of the United States Territory of Kansas that existed from 1855-08-25, to 1861-01-29.-History:On 1855-08-25, the Kansas Territorial Legislature created Arapahoe County to govern the western portion of the Territory of Kansas...

, immediately south of the Nebraska Territory

Nebraska Territory

The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...

.

In 1859, John D. "Colonel Jack" Henderson

John D. Henderson

John D. "Colonel Jack" Henderson was an American editor, rancher, businessman, and pro-slavery politician in the Kansas Territory.John D. Henderson was born in Pennsylvania....

built a ranch, trading post, and hotel on Henderson Island in the South Platte River

South Platte River

The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...

in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory

Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory

. Jack Henderson was the former editor and proprietor of the Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Kansas

Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

(Kansas Territory

Kansas Territory

The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....

) Journal and an outspoken pro-slavery politician who had been accused of vote fraud in eastern Kansas. Henderson sold meat and provisions to gold seekers on their way up the South Platte River Trail to the gold fields during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Henderson Island was the first permanent settlement in the South Platte River Valley between Fort Saint Vrain

Fort Saint Vrain

Fort Saint Vrain was an 1837 fur trading post built by the Bent, St. Vrain Company, and located at the confluence of Saint Vrain Creek and the South Platte River, about 20 miles east of the Rocky Mountains in the unorganized territory of the United States. This area later became part od the State...

in the Nebraska Territory

Nebraska Territory

and the Cherry Creek Diggings in the Kansas Territory

Kansas Territory

. Jack Henderson eventually returned to eastern Kansas and (ironically) fought for the Union

Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. Henderson Island is today the site of the Adams County Regional Park and Fairgrounds.

The eastern portion of the Kansas Territory

Kansas Territory

was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas on January 29, 1861, and on February 28, 1861, the remaining western portion of the territory was made part of the new Colorado Territory

Colorado Territory

The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado....

. The Colorado Territory

Colorado Territory

created Arapahoe County, on November 1, 1861, and Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876.

In 1901, the Colorado General Assembly

Colorado General Assembly

The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado.-Constitutional definition:The Colorado Constitution establishes a system of government based on the separation of powers doctrine with power divided among three "departments": executive, legislative and judicial...

voted to split Arapahoe County into three parts: a new Adams County, a new consolidated

Consolidated city-county

In United States local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...

City and County of Denver, and the remainder of the Arapahoe County to be renamed South Arapahoe County

South Arapahoe County, Colorado

South Arapahoe County was a county of the State of Colorado that existed for five months until it was renamed Arapahoe County in 1902.-History:...

. A ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court

Colorado Supreme Court

The Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in Denver, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices.-Appellate jurisdiction:...

, subsequent legislation

Legislation

Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...

, and a referendum

Referendum

A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...

delayed the creation of Adams County until November 15, 1902. Governor

Governor of Colorado

The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...

James Bradley Orman

James Bradley Orman was an American politician and railroad builder. He served as the 12th Governor of Colorado from 1901 to 1903. He was a Democrat....

designated Brighton

Brighton, Colorado

as the temporary Adams County Seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

. Adams County originally stretched 160 miles (258 kilometers) from present-day Sheridan Boulevard to the Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

state border. On May 12, 1903, the eastern 88 miles (142 kilometers) of Adams County was transferred to the new Washington County

Washington County, Colorado

Washington County is the 12th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 4,926 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named in honor of the United States President George Washington...

and the new Yuma County

Yuma County, Colorado

Yuma County is the 14th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,841 at U.S. Census 2000...

, reducing the length of Adams County to the present 72 miles (116 kilometers). On November 8, 1904, Adams County voters chose Brighton

Brighton, Colorado

as the permanent county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

.

A 1989 vote transferred 53 square miles (137 square kilometers) of Adams County to the City and County of Denver

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

for the proposed Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...

, leaving the densely populated western portion of the county as two oddly-shaped peninsulas. Adams County lost the tip of its northwest corner when the consolidated City and County of Broomfield

Broomfield, Colorado

The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...

was created on November 15, 2001.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1197.71 square miles (3,102.1 km²), of which 1191.93 square miles (3,087.1 km²) (or 99.52%) is land and 5.78 square miles (15 km²) (or 0.48%) is water.

Adams County surrounds (and surrendered the land for) most of Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport

which is in the City and County of Denver

Denver, Colorado

Adjacent counties

Weld County
Weld County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...

- north
Morgan County
Morgan County, Colorado
Morgan County is the 18th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of Colonel Christopher A. Morgan. The county population was 27,171 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the...

- northeast
Washington County
Washington County, Colorado
Washington County is the 12th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 4,926 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named in honor of the United States President George Washington...

- east
Arapahoe County
Arapahoe County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...

- south
City & County of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

- south
Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Colorado
Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver....

- west
City & County of Broomfield
Broomfield, Colorado
The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The...

- northwest

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 363,857 people, 128,156 households, and 92,144 families residing in the county. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

was 305 people per square mile (118/km²). There were 132,594 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile (43/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.29% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 2.97% Black

Race (United States Census)

or African American

Race (United States Census)

, 1.19% Native American

Race (United States Census)

, 3.21% Asian

Race (United States Census)

, 0.12% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

, 11.73% from other races

Race (United States Census)

, and 3.49% from two or more races. 28.19% of the population were Hispanic

Race (United States Census)

or Latino

Race (United States Census)

of any race.

There were 128,156 households out of which 37.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 34.00% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 102.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,323, and the median income for a family was $52,517. Males had a median income of $36,499 versus $28,053 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

for the county was $19,944. About 6.50% of families and 8.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

s (with 60,429 members) and Evangelical Protestants (with 25,552 members). The largest religious bodies were The Catholic Church (with 60,429 adherents)and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traces its current dispensation beginnings to Joseph Smith, Jr. on April 6, 1830 in Western New York. Initial converts were drawn to the church in part because of the newly published Book of Mormon, a self-described chronicle of indigenous American...

(with 6,808 adherents).

Cities and town

Seven cities and one town (Bennett) have been established in the county. Portions of most of these municipalities lie in adjacent counties as well:

Arvada
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...

(partially)
Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...

(partially)
Bennett
Bennett, Colorado
The town of Bennett is a Statutory Town in Adams and Arapahoe counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the town had a population of 2,536 in 2005...

(partially)
Brighton
Brighton, Colorado
Brighton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Adams County. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 31,380 in 2008.-Geography:...

(partially)
Commerce City
Commerce City, Colorado
The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado...
Federal Heights
Federal Heights, Colorado
The city of Federal Heights is a Statutory City located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. As of 2005, the city is estimated to have a total population of 11,706.-Geography:Federal Heights is located at ....
Northglenn
Northglenn, Colorado
Northglenn is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 33,697 in 2008.-Geography:Northglenn is located at ....

(partially)
Strasburg
Strasburg, Colorado
Strasburg is a census-designated place in Adams and Arapahoe counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The population was 1,402 at the 2000 census. The Strasburg Post Office has the ZIP Code 80136....

(partially)
Thornton
Thornton, Colorado
The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...

(partially)
Westminster
Westminster, Colorado
Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...

(partially)

Unincorporated communities

Henderson
Henderson, Colorado
Henderson, formerly known as Henderson Island, is an unincorporated community and a U.S. Post Office in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The Henderson Post Office has the ZIP Code 80640. Portions of the Henderson area have been annexed by the cities of Commerce City, Brighton, and...

(portions have been annexed by Brighton, Commerce City, and Thornton)
Watkins
Watkins, Colorado
Watkins is a census-designated place in Arapahoe and Adams County, Colorado, United States. It was formerly an incorporated town. The Watkins Post Office has the ZIP Code 80137...

Census-designated places

Berkley
Berkley, Colorado
Berkley is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 11,207 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Berkley is located at ....
Derby
Derby, Colorado
Derby is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 7,685 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Derby is located at ....
North Washington
North Washington, Colorado
North Washington is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 549 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Washington is located at ....
Sherrelwood
Sherrelwood, Colorado
Sherrelwood is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 17,657 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sherrelwood is located at ....
Todd Creek
Todd Creek, Colorado
Todd Creek is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, USA. The population was 1,299 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Todd Creek is located at ....
Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes, Adams County, Colorado
Twin Lakes is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,301 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Twin Lakes is located at...
Welby
Welby, Colorado
Welby is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 12,973 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Welby is located at ....

Education

The school districts serving Adams County are:

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Adams County 14
Bennett 29J
Brighton 27J
Mapleton 1
Strasburg 31J
Westminster 50
Adams County School District 50
Adams County School District 50 is a public school district located in extreme southwestern Adams County, Colorado, United States. The district serves the southeastern portion of the City of Westminster and adjacent areas.-Board of education:...

.

Community development organizations

Recreational trails

American Discovery Trail
American Discovery Trail
The American Discovery Trail is a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. It starts on the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and ends on the northern California coast on the Pacific Ocean, and is signed on over of trail. This includes the doubled...
Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail
Highline Canal National Recreation Trail
Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Recreation Trail

License plate code

Adams County has used the following county codes on Colorado license plates issued to passenger vehicles in the county: TE-UF, GA-GG, SAA-SEW, and SEY-TZZ. http://www.15q.net/coco.html

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Cities and town

Unincorporated communities

Census-designated places

Education

Community development organizations

Recreational trails

License plate code

See also

External links