Douglas County, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Douglas County, Colorado | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Colorado |
|
 Colorado's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | November 1, 1861 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Castle Rock |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
843 sq mi (2,183 km²) 840 sq mi (2,176 km²) 3 sq mi (7 km²), 0.31% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
175,766 |
| Time zone | Mountain : UTC-8/-7 |
| Website: www.douglas.co.us | |
| Named for: Stephen A. Douglas, who died the year the county was created. | |
Douglas County is a suburban county located in the southern portion of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area of the State of Colorado. Douglas County is the eighth most populous Colorado county and one of the fastest growing areas in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 249,416 in 2005, a 41.9% increase since 2000.[1] The county seat is Castle Rock, named after a small butte just north of the town. Castle Rock is on the Interstate 25 corridor just east of the front range of the Rocky Mountains.
Douglas County is lightly wooded, mostly with ponderosa pine, with broken terrain characterized by mesas and small streams. Cherry Creek and Plum Creek rise in Douglas County and flow north toward Denver and into the South Platte River. Both were subject to flash flooding in the past, Plum Creek being partially responsible for the Denver flood of 1965. Cherry Creek is now dammed.
Residents generally commute to workplaces elsewhere in the metropolitan area outside of the county. Urbanization is gradually displacing the ranching economy of the county.
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[edit] History
Douglas County was one of the original 17 counties created in the Colorado Territory by the Colorado Territorial Legislature on November 1, 1861. It was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas, who died the year the county was created. The county seat of Douglas County was originally set in Franktown, but moved to California Ranch in 1863 and then to Castle Rock in 1874. Although the county's boundaries originally extended eastward to the state border, in 1874, most of the eastern portion of the county became part of Elbert County.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,183 km² (843 mi²). 2,176 km² (840 mi²) of it is land and 7 km² (3 mi²) of it (0.31%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Jefferson County, Colorado - north
- Arapahoe County, Colorado - northeast
- Elbert County, Colorado - east
- El Paso County, Colorado - southeast
- Teller County, Colorado - south
Douglas County is blessed with a comprehensive Library System with a great local history section, the Douglas County History Research Center, at http://www.douglascountyhistory.org
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 175,766 people, 60,924 households, and 49,835 families residing in the county. The population density was 81/km² (209/mi²). There were 63,333 housing units at an average density of 29/km² (75/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.77% White, 0.95% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. 5.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 60,924 households out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the county the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $82,929, and the median income for a family was $88,482. Males had a median income of $60,729 versus $38,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,848. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
Douglas County had the highest median household income of any county or statistical equivalent in 2000.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Census-designated places
- Acres Green
- Carriage Club
- Castle Pines
- Cottonwood
- Franktown
- Grand View Estates
- Heritage Hills
- Highlands Ranch
- Louviers
- Meridian
- Perry Park
- Roxborough Park
- Sedalia
- Stonegate
- The Pinery
- Westcreek
[edit] External links
- Official Web site of Douglas County Government
- Official Web site of Douglas County Sheriff
- YourHub.com/DouglasCounty
[edit] References
- ^ Population Estimates by County: Colorado (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division (March 15, 2006). Retrieved on November 24, 2006.
