Fraser, Colorado
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| Fraser, Colorado | |
| Nickname: "Icebox of the Nation" | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Grand |
| Area | |
| - City | 1.9 sq mi (4.8 km²) |
| Elevation | 8,572.8 ft (2,613 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - City | 910 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
Fraser is a town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The population was 910 at the 2000 census. The town is in Middle Park in the valley of the Fraser River along U.S. Highway 40. Its location northwest of Winter Park, the location of several popular ski resorts, has provided growth in recent years with new condominium and other real estate developments.
This town is at an elevation of 8574 feet (2613 meters) and was established in 1871. It was laid out along the Fraser River by George Eastom and originally named for him. Rueben Frazier, an early settler in the area, was well known by most of the locals and it wasn't long before people started calling the town Frazier. When the US Postal Authority granted a post office they wanted an easier spelling so took the name of the nearby Fraser River. It was the center of the timber industry until the Forest Service headquarters was moved to Hot Sulphur Springs in 1915, and the Ranger Station to Idlewild. The town was incorporated in 1953.
Fraser, with an annual mean temperature of 32.5 °F (or 34.8 °F based on another station in town) is the coldest incorporated town in the lower 48 states. It also has the shortest growing season, with an average of only 4-7 days, depending on the station. Both Fraser and International Falls, Minnesota have claimed the title "Icebox of the Nation," which has caused conflict between the two towns over the years.[1]
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 11 (-11) | 14 (-10) | 20 (-6) | 31 (0) | 41 (5) | 48 (9) | 53 (11) | 52 (11) | 45 (7) | 35 (1) | 22 (-5) | 13 (-10) |
| Avg low temperature °F (°C) | -5 (-22) | -2 (-18) | 4 (-11) | 16 (-3) | 24 (4) | 29 (9) | 34 (12) | 32 (11) | 24 (6) | 16 (0) | 6 (-9) | 1 (-18) |
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[edit] Transportation
- See also: Fraser-Winter Park (Amtrak station)
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Fraser and nearby Winter Park, operating its California Zephyr daily in each direction between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.
[edit] Geography
Fraser is located at (39.944158, -105.813355)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²). 4.8 km² (1.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.07%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 910 people, 410 households, and 191 families residing in the town. The population density was 189.9/km² (491.1/mi²). There were 622 housing units at an average density of 129.8/km² (335.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.51% White, 0.88% African American, 0.88% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.22% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.
There were 410 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.2% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the town the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 46.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 129.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,173, and the median income for a family was $39,643. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $26,346 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,628. About 11.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ Riccardi, Nicholas. "Dueling for ‘Icebox of Nation’." Journal Gazette. March 5, 2007. Retrieved on March 5, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- History of Fraser
