Falcon, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Falcon is an unincorporated
exurb
in El Paso County
, Colorado
, United States
. It lies along US 24 about 14 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. A railroad hub in the early 20th century, the town spent several decades as a quiet ranching community until it experienced rapid residential growth throughout the 1990s. The population of Falcon as of 2009 is estimated to be 10,514. The U.S. Post Office
at Peyton
(ZIP Code
80831) now serves Falcon postal addresses.
In 1881, the area now known as Falcon was crossed by the railroads: first the Denver and New Orleans
on a rail bed parallel to today's Eastonville Road, then the Chicago and Rock Island
on a rail bed parallel to today's U.S. Route 24
. The lines' intersection remains an important center of the Falcon area today.
On September 20, 1888, the first announcement of "Falcon, Colorado" was advertised in the Colorado Springs Gazette
. The Falcon Land and Town Company, associated with the Chicago Rock Island Railroad, were selling lots to individuals. By 1896, there two hotels, a newspaper, six saloons, a pool hall, stockyards
, two train depots, two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a school.
The introduction of the automobile brought a decline in passenger rail traffic to Falcon. A 1935 flood washed out the Colorado & Southern
tracks, which weren't rebuilt, and the Rock Island railroad junction closed. By 1975, only a small number of homes and the school remained at the Falcon intersection.
In 1984, a business complex including a convenience store and gas station was built at the intersection of Meridian Road and U.S. 24; the intersection gained a traffic light in 1996. In the early 1990s, Falcon began to undergo residential development at a rapid pace The area's population nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000.
With the rapid growth, suburban amenities began appearing in Falcon. Safeway
opened a grocery store in Falcon in 2000. The county approved a new Wal-Mart
store in 2005 with minimal opposition. As that new retail presence was preparing to open, residents voted in May 2007 on whether to incorporate
as a town. The proposal was defeated, with 78% of the vote against incorporation. The next major retail chain slated to set up shop in Falcon was Lowe's
, which had agreed to procure the current site of Fire Station #1 of the Falcon Fire Protection District. Lowe's would have built a replacement station at Golden Sage and Woodmen, but in September 2008, that deal fell through and Lowe's did not complete the transaction.
, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, is located between Falcon and Peyton, Colorado.
On October 16, 2010, High Prairie Library, a branch of the Pikes Peak Library District
opened to the public.
In 2004, the Antler Creek Golf Course opened as the longest golf course
in Colorado and the second-longest in the nation.
. The district currently has three high schools, Falcon High School, Vista Ridge High School, and Sand Creek High School
. The area's rapid growth has caused the district to grow by 1100 new students annually over the past few years. Pikes Peak Community College
now has a campus in Falcon.
Unincorporated 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...
exurb
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
in El Paso County
El Paso County, Colorado
El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...
, 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...
. It lies along US 24 about 14 miles northeast of Colorado Springs. A railroad hub in the early 20th century, the town spent several decades as a quiet ranching community until it experienced rapid residential growth throughout the 1990s. The population of Falcon as of 2009 is estimated to be 10,514. The U.S. Post Office
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
at Peyton
Peyton, Colorado
Peyton is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 250. The nearby unincorporated area of Falcon also uses zip code 80831...
(ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
80831) now serves Falcon postal addresses.
History
Denver and New Orleans
The Denver and New Orleans Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Colorado.The D&NO was started by Colorado Governor John Evans, along with railroad entrepreneur David Moffat and other associates in 1881. The company was chartered to build a railroad connection from Denver, Colorado to...
on a rail bed parallel to today's Eastonville Road, then the Chicago and Rock Island
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
on a rail bed parallel to today's U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 24 is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It originally ran from Pontiac, Michigan, in the east to Kansas City, Missouri, in the west. Today, the highway's eastern terminus is west of Clarkston, Michigan, at an intersection with I-75 and its western terminus is near...
. The lines' intersection remains an important center of the Falcon area today.
On September 20, 1888, the first announcement of "Falcon, Colorado" was advertised in the Colorado Springs Gazette
The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
The Gazette is a newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is published daily by Irvine, California-based Freedom Communications...
. The Falcon Land and Town Company, associated with the Chicago Rock Island Railroad, were selling lots to individuals. By 1896, there two hotels, a newspaper, six saloons, a pool hall, stockyards
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
, two train depots, two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a school.
The introduction of the automobile brought a decline in passenger rail traffic to Falcon. A 1935 flood washed out the Colorado & Southern
Colorado and Southern Railway
The Colorado and Southern Railway was a railroad company in the western United States that operated independently from 1898 to 1908, then as part of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad until it was absorbed into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.The railway began as the...
tracks, which weren't rebuilt, and the Rock Island railroad junction closed. By 1975, only a small number of homes and the school remained at the Falcon intersection.
In 1984, a business complex including a convenience store and gas station was built at the intersection of Meridian Road and U.S. 24; the intersection gained a traffic light in 1996. In the early 1990s, Falcon began to undergo residential development at a rapid pace The area's population nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000.
With the rapid growth, suburban amenities began appearing in Falcon. Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
opened a grocery store in Falcon in 2000. The county approved a new Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
store in 2005 with minimal opposition. As that new retail presence was preparing to open, residents voted in May 2007 on whether to incorporate
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a town. The proposal was defeated, with 78% of the vote against incorporation. The next major retail chain slated to set up shop in Falcon was Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, which had agreed to procure the current site of Fire Station #1 of the Falcon Fire Protection District. Lowe's would have built a replacement station at Golden Sage and Woodmen, but in September 2008, that deal fell through and Lowe's did not complete the transaction.
Geography
Falcon neighborhoods include The Meadows, Elkhorn Estates, Meridian Ranch, Woodmen Hills, Falcon Hills, Paint Brush Hills and Falcon Heights.Arts and culture
The Black Squirrel Creek BridgeBlack Squirrel Creek Bridge
The Black Squirrel Creek Bridge is a Parker truss bridge in eastern El Paso County, Colorado. The bridge carries U.S. Route 24 across Black Squirrel Creek at the highway's milepost 327.33.-History:...
, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, is located between Falcon and Peyton, Colorado.
On October 16, 2010, High Prairie Library, a branch of the Pikes Peak Library District
Pikes Peak Library District
Pikes Peak Library District is public library system serving a population of 508,000 in El Paso County, Colorado.Pikes Peak Library District has resources for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Library resources are available in multiple languages, large print, audio, and video formats...
opened to the public.
In 2004, the Antler Creek Golf Course opened as the longest golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in Colorado and the second-longest in the nation.
Education
Students are served by Falcon School District 49Falcon School District 49
The Falcon School District 49 is located to the east of Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is the largest district geographically within the state of Colorado, as well as one of the fastest growing.-Elementary:*Evans International Elementary School...
. The district currently has three high schools, Falcon High School, Vista Ridge High School, and Sand Creek High School
Sand Creek High School
Sand Creek High School is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is the second high school of Falcon School District 49. The school was built in 1997.- Athletics :Sand Creek High School is a member of the Colorado Springs Metro League, Class 4A...
. The area's rapid growth has caused the district to grow by 1100 new students annually over the past few years. Pikes Peak Community College
Pikes Peak Community College
Pikes Peak Community College is a community college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is the largest institution of higher education in the Pikes Peak region. PPCC offers more than 150 programs in liberal arts and sciences transfer and career technical education...
now has a campus in Falcon.
Religion
Falcon is home to many churches and religious organizations including Falcon Baptist Church, Meridian Point Christian Church, Sagecreek Community Church, St. Benedict Catholic Church, Family of Faith Lutheran Church, and Gathering Stones Community Church. A few have their own buildings while most meet in rented spaces. Falcon has a Thai Buddhist temple called Wat Santidhamma Temple.External links
- MeadowLake Airport - Falcon Colorado
- Meadow Lake Airport (Colorado)Meadow Lake Airport (Colorado)Meadow Lake Airport is a public use airport located 14 miles northeast of the central business district of the city of Colorado Springs, in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is privately owned by the Meadow Lake Airport Association, Inc. Meadow Lake is the largest pilot owned airport in...
- Falcon School District 49
- Falcon/Peyton Small Area Master Plan
- Falcon Fire Protection District
- The New Falcon Herald newspaper
- Falcon Senior Services Senior activities
- Falcon Incorporation Committee
- Falcon Area Issues Roundtable
- Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce