Red Cliff, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Cliff (sometimes spelled Redcliff) is a town in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census. The town is a former mining camp that has staged a modest recovery in recent years as a low-key counterculture mountain community. It is situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass. The town site is somewhat concealed from the highway (which passes over the Red Cliff Truss Bridge near the town [1]) and is accessible by a side road that leads up to Shrine Pass in the Sawatch Range. It was founded in 1879 during the early days of the Colorado Silver Boom by miners from Leadville who came over Tennessee Pass scouting for better prospects. The name derives from the red quartzite cliffs surrounding the town. As the first white community in the Eagle Valley, it served temporarily as the first county seat of Eagle County (formed out of Summit County in 1883) until the relocation of the county seat to Eagle in 1921.
The town today consists of a cluster of older homes and converted trailers on the flanks of the canyon around the river, as well as a post office, a historic church and numerous older wooden structures along the main street of the town. Several of the older structures have been converted in recent years into modern businesses, including a restaurant. The town is located within easy driving distance of nearby ski areas and the revival of the town has given rise to a new inn housed in one of the downtown structures.
In winter, the town also serves as a popular access point to Shrine Pass for cross-country skiers. In recent years, a car shuttle has operated between the town and nearby Vail, allowing visitors to Vail easy access to the pass.
[edit] Geography
  Red Cliff is on U.S. Highway 24 in southeastern Eagle County.
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Red Cliff is located at (39.510570, -106.373458)GR1 and is sited at elevation 8,750.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 289 people, 109 households, and 68 families residing in the town. The population density was 485.1/km² (1,256.4/mi²). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 204.8/km² (530.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.98% White, 0.69% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 32.87% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61.94% of the population.
There were 109 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 124.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,104, and the median income for a family was $44,219. Males had a median income of $35,694 versus $30,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,864. About 6.8% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 31.6% of those sixty five or over.
[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
- Eagle County History
