Centennial, Colorado
Encyclopedia
The city of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in 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...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area
Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area
The Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in the State of Colorado that includes the City and County of Denver and nine suburban counties. The Census Bureau estimates that the population was 2,357,404 on...
. The city was to have a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census. Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality
Colorado municipalities
The U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
in the state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and its 2001 incorporation was the largest in U.S. history. Centennial is ranked as the 15th safest city in the country.
History
Centennial was formed February 7, 2001, from portions of unincorporatedUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
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...
, including the former Castlewood
Castlewood, Colorado
Castlewood is a former census-designated place in southern Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 25,567 at the 2000 census...
and Southglenn
Southglenn, Colorado
Southglenn is a former census-designated place in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 43,520 at the 2000 census. It has been a part of the city of Centennial since the city's incorporation in 2001.-Geography:...
census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
s (CDPs). The citizens of the area had voted to incorporate on September 12, 2000, choosing Centennial as the official name during the vote. The name reflects Colorado’s admission to the Union
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
of the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. Incorporation was approved by 77% of the voters, and the population of the area at over 100,000 made it the largest incorporation in U.S. history as of its creation. The city was incorporated in large part to prevent further annexations by the city of Greenwood Village
Greenwood Village, Colorado
The city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
in the I-25 corridor to improve its tax base. The taxes generated from businesses in the unincorporated portions of Arapahoe County funded the majority of the county's services, including road work. There were a number of court cases establishing the right of incorporation to take precedence over the right of annexation.
The city was incorporated on a promise to keep city taxes at 1% (one of the campaigns against incorporation appealed to maintain the 3.8% sales tax of the unincorporated county). According to the City of Centennial website, the current sales tax rate is two and one-half times this rate, at 2.5%.
As it is new, many people in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area do not recognize the area by the name Centennial, especially since the "default" city names for the ZIP codes within which Centennial is located are assigned to 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...
, Englewood
Englewood, Colorado
The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...
and Littleton
Littleton, Colorado
Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
. Thus, mailing addresses that are actually in Centennial often have Aurora, Englewood or Littleton as the city name. This causes considerable confusion, as Centennial and Englewood do not even share a boundary, while some portions of Centennial are surrounded by Aurora and vice versa.
The city recently held a home-rule charter convention, where a new charter was adopted. The new charter was approved by voters on June 10, 2008 by a margin of 2-to-1.
Centennial Airport
Centennial Airport
Centennial Airport is located in Dove Valley, an unincorporated portion of Arapahoe County near Denver, Colorado. The airport’s runways also extend into neighboring Douglas County. The airport opened on May 12, 1967 as Arapahoe County Airport, and was renamed on July 13, 1984...
, formerly Arapahoe County Airport, lies adjacent to Centennial but is in unincorporated Arapahoe County; it is not named after the city, as it predates it by over 30 years.
Geography
Centennial covers 27.9 square miles (72 km2). Centennial is roughly divided in half by Interstate 25Interstate 25
Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway. I-25 stretches from Interstate 10 at Las Cruces, New Mexico, , to Interstate 90 in Buffalo, Wyoming, .Interstate 25 is the main north–south expressway through...
, with most of its business and entertainment centers lying west of the highway. The city's boundaries are highly irregular and evocative of a gerrymander
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
, particularly the overwhelmingly residential eastern portions of the city, which appear with Foxfield
Foxfield, Colorado
The town of Foxfield is a Statutory Town located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 746 at the 2000 census. The town is bordered by the cities of Aurora and Centennial.-Geography:Foxfield is located at ....
, portions of Aurora, and unincorporated areas as a distorted checkerboard
Checkerboard
A checkerboard or chequerboard is a board of chequered pattern on which English draughts is played. It is an 8×8 board and the 64 squares are of alternating dark and light color, often red and black....
on a map.
Centennial has many hills, gullies and ravines, and its open spaces are usually accompanied by recreational trails, including the Dry Creek Dam, DeKovend Park, and the Highline Canal. Centennial hosts most native wildlife and is a good reflection of Colorado's front range ecosystem. Centennial has also seen a boost in coyote populations in recent years, leading to resident education on how to deter coyotes from eating family pets.
Centennial is located at 39°35'47" North, 104°50'38" West (39.5963, -104.8439).
Demographics
Population: 103,100 (2004 estimate). There are also 36,200 households in Centennial.The city is approximately 87.4% White, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.6% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 2.4% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.4% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, and 0.3% from other races.
The median age is 37.2 years, in comparison to the 35.3 year national average. For every 100 females there are 98.0 males.
Schools
Centennial is serviced mainly by Littleton Public SchoolsLittleton Public Schools
Littleton Public Schools is a school district in Littleton, Colorado which serves several communities south of central Denver in the Denver metropolitan area.Scott Murphy is the superintendent...
and Cherry Creek Public Schools, as well as a few private schools.
Public High Schools
- Arapahoe High SchoolArapahoe High School (Centennial, Colorado)Arapahoe High School is a public high school in Centennial, Colorado, United States. Located in a suburb of Denver, it is the flagship of the Littleton Public Schools District as the largest of three high schools with an enrollment of 2,229 students...
- Eaglecrest High SchoolEaglecrest High SchoolEaglecrest High School is located in unincorporated Arapahoe County, Colorado, near the cities of Aurora and Centennial. The school mascot is the Raptors, and school colors are red, black and silver. Eaglecrest was the fourth high school to open in the Cherry Creek School District, and it is a...
(located outside the city in unincorporated Arapahoe CountyArapahoe County, ColoradoAs 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...
) - Cherry Creek High SchoolCherry Creek High SchoolCherry Creek High School is the oldest of six high schools in the Cherry Creek School District in suburban Denver, Colorado. It is one of the largest high schools in the Denver metro area, with an campus and more than 3,700 students. Cherry Creek High School has been designated a Blue Ribbon...
(located outside the city in neighboring Greenwood VillageGreenwood Village, ColoradoThe city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
) - Cherokee Trail High SchoolCherokee Trail High SchoolCherokee Trail High School is a public secondary-educational institution located in the eastern portion of the city of Aurora, Colorado. It is the sixth high school in the Cherry Creek School District and the largest high school on the Western side of the Mississippi River...
- Smoky Hill High SchoolSmoky Hill High SchoolSmoky Hill High School is located in Aurora, Colorado and currently has around 2,600 students. Smoky Hill is part of the Cherry Creek School District and was the second high school built by the district in 1974.It goes by the short name 'Smoky'...
(located outside the city in neighboring AuroraAurora, ColoradoCity 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...
) - Grandview High School (located outside the city in neighboring AuroraAurora, ColoradoCity 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...
)
Public Middle Schools
- Campus Middle School (located outside the city in neighboring Greenwood VillageGreenwood Village, ColoradoThe city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States...
) - Euclid Middle School
- Isaac Newton Middle School
- John Wesley Powell Middle School
- West Middle School (located outside the city)
- Horizon Middle School (located outside the city in neighboring AuroraAurora, ColoradoCity 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...
)
Public Elementary Schools - West Centennial
- Ames Elementary School (Closed at the end of 2008/2009 School Year)
- Franklin Elementary School
- Highland Elementary School
- Highlands Baptist Academy
- Hopkins Elementary School
- Lenski Elementary School
- Peabody Elementary School
- Sandburg Elementary School
- Twain Elementary School
- Dry Creek Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Homestead Elementary School
- Walnut Hills Community Elementary School
- Willow Creek Elementary School
- Greenwood Elementary School (Located Outside the City)
Public Elementary Schools - East Centennial
- Creekside Elementary School
- Peakview Elementary School
- Timberline Elementary School
- Trails West Elementary School
- Buffalo Trail Elementary School (located outside the city in neighboring AuroraAurora, ColoradoCity 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...
)
Private Elementary and Middle Schools
- St. Thomas More Parish School
- Highlands Baptist Academy
- Shepherd of the Hills Christian School
- Centennial Christian Academy
- C.A.R.E. Middle School
Government
The city is governed in what is known mayor-council style, which limits the city's tax levying and collection powers. The city council comprises eight members. The Mayor and all Council Members are part-time officials and hold other full time jobs.| Office | Incumbent | |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Cathy Noon | |
| Councilmembers, District I | Rick Dindinger | Vorry Moon |
| Councilmembers, District II | Sue Bosier | Keith Gardner |
| Councilmembers, District III | Patrick Anderson | Rebecca McClellan |
| Councilmembers, District IV | Todd Miller | Ron Weidmann |
| City Clerk | Brenda Madison | |
| City Manager | Jacque Wedding-Scott | |
Points of interest
- International Headquarters for Gamma Phi BetaGamma Phi BetaGamma Phi Beta is an international sorority that was founded on November 11, 1874, at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The term "sorority," meaning sisterhood, was coined for Gamma Phi Beta by Dr. Frank Smalley, a professor at Syracuse University.The four founders are Helen M. Dodge,...
sorority are located in Centennial. Gamma Phi Beta was the first women's organization to use the term sorority.
- On September 10, 2008, it was announced that Centennial will be the site of Colorado's first IKEAIKEAIKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
location. The IKEAIKEAIKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
Centennial location opened on July 27, 2011. It is the second largest IKEAIKEAIKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
store in the United States. On October 7, 2011, IKEA Centennial was awarded the Project of the Year by the City of Centennial.
- The Denver TempleDenver Colorado TempleThe Denver Colorado Temple is the 40th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The LDS Church announced its plans to build a temple in Colorado on March 31, 1982. Almost two years later, Gordon B. Hinckley presided over the site dedication and groundbreaking...
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is located in Centennial. The temple, 40th operating of the church, was dedicated 24–28 October 1986 by president Ezra Taft BensonEzra Taft BensonEzra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
.
Surrounding municipalities
| North: 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... , Greenwood Village Greenwood Village, Colorado The city of Greenwood Village is a prominent suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States... |
||
| West: Littleton Littleton, Colorado Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of... |
Centennial | East: 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... |
| South: Lone Tree Lone Tree, Colorado Lone Tree is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,873 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lone Tree is located at . It is on the northern border of Douglas County, and directly adjacent to Arapahoe County... , Foxfield Foxfield, Colorado The town of Foxfield is a Statutory Town located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 746 at the 2000 census. The town is bordered by the cities of Aurora and Centennial.-Geography:Foxfield is located at .... , Parker Parker, Colorado The Town of Parker is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. As a self-declared "Town" under the Home Rule Statutes, Parker is the 2nd most populous town in the county, behind Castle Rock. In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost... |
See also
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaDenver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Areathumb|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...
- Front Range Urban CorridorFront Range Urban CorridorThe Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
- State of Colorado