Littleton, Colorado

Main Street in Downtown Littleton
Main Street in Downtown Littleton
Main Street in Downtown Littleton
Main Street in Downtown Littleton
Littleton, Colorado
Home Rule Municipality

Littleton Town Hall, built 1920. Jacques Benedict, architect

Location of Littleton in Arapahoe County and Douglas County and Jefferson County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 39°35′59″N 105°0′39″W / 39.59972°N 105.01083°W / 39.59972; -105.01083Coordinates: 39°35′59″N 105°0′39″W / 39.59972°N 105.01083°W / 39.59972; -105.01083
Country United States
State Colorado
Counties Arapahoe County Seat[1]
Jefferson County
Douglas County
Incorporated March 13, 1890[2]
Named for Richard Little
Government
 • Type Council–manager government
 • Mayor Bruce Beckman [3]
Area[4]
 • Total 13.82 sq mi (35.80 km2)
 • Land 12.69 sq mi (32.87 km2)
 • Water 1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2)
Elevation[5] 5,351 ft (1,631 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 41,737
 • Estimate (2016)[6] 46,333
 • Density 3,650.57/sq mi (1,409.45/km2)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP codes[7] 80120-80130, 80160-80163 (PO Boxes), 80165, 80166
Area code(s) Both 303 and 720
FIPS code 08-45255
GNIS feature ID 0169446
Highways US 85, SH 75, SH 88, SH 470
Website littletongov.org

Littleton is the Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties that is the county seat of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States.[8][9] The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 41,737 at the 2010 United States Census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado.

History

The city of Littleton's history dates back to the 1859 Pike's Peak Gold Rush, which brought not only gold seekers, but merchants and farmers to the community. Richard Sullivan Little was an engineer from New Hampshire that made his way out west to work on irrigation systems. Little soon decided to settle in the area at present day Littleton and brought his wife Angeline out from the East in 1862. The Littles, along with many neighbors, built the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, which provided a solid economic base in the community. By 1890, the community had grown to 245 people and the residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.[10]

Littleton became widely known in 1999 when the Columbine High School massacre occurred at Columbine High School.[11] News media reported that the incident happened in the city, because the school’s ZIP code is primarily associated with Littleton.[12] The school is actually located in adjacent Columbine, an unincorporated community, which is not a place name accepted by the U.S. Postal Service;[12] by default, locations in ZIP code 80123 use “Littleton” in their mailing addresses.[13] Columbine High School is in the Jefferson County school system and is not one of the Littleton Public Schools.[14][15]

Geography

Littleton is located at 39°35′59″N 105°0′39″W / 39.59972°N 105.01083°W / 39.59972; -105.01083 (39.599691, −105.010929) at an elevation of 5,351 feet (1,631 m).[5][16] Located in central Colorado at the junction of U.S. Route 85 and Colorado State Highway 470, the city is 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Denver and 55 miles (89 km) north of Colorado Springs.[17][18]

Littleton lies on the South Platte River in the Colorado Piedmont region of the Great Plains a few miles east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.[17][19][20] Most of the city lies on the east side of the river. Several small tributaries of the river flow northwest through the city; from north to south, these include Big Dry Creek, Slaughterhouse Gulch, Lee Gulch, and Dad Clark Gulch. In addition, there are several small lakes and reservoirs located along the river in the southwestern part of the city. Immediately west of the river are Cooley Lake, Bufflehead Lake, South Platte Reservoir, Eaglewatch Lake, Redtail Lake, and Blackrock Lake. East of the river lie Wolhurst Lake and McLellen Reservoir which is fed and drained by Dad Clark Gulch. Chatfield Reservoir lies immediately southwest of the city.[17]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles (35.9 km2) of which 12.98 square miles (33.6 km2) is land and 0.89 square miles (2.3 km2) (6.4%) is water.[21]

As a suburb of Denver, Littleton is part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.[22] It shares a border with Denver and Englewood on the north, Greenwood Village on the northeast, Centennial on the east, Highlands Ranch on the south, Columbine and Columbine Valley on the west, and Bow Mar on the northwest.[21]

Climate

Climate data for Littleton, Colorado (Elevation 5,310ft)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 76
(24)		 86
(30)		 88
(31)		 90
(32)		 98
(37)		 99
(37)		 98
(37)		 94
(34)		 88
(31)		 82
(28)		 76
(24)		 99
(37)
Average high °F (°C) 43.8
(6.6)		 47.2
(8.4)		 53.9
(12.2)		 62.6
(17)		 69.4
(20.8)		 80.3
(26.8)		 85.4
(29.7)		 82.7
(28.2)		 75.4
(24.1)		 64.1
(17.8)		 51.0
(10.6)		 43.0
(6.1)		 63.2
(17.3)
Average low °F (°C) 15.3
(−9.3)		 19.1
(−7.2)		 27.7
(−2.4)		 35.1
(1.7)		 43.4
(6.3)		 52.6
(11.4)		 57.6
(14.2)		 55.8
(13.2)		 46.6
(8.1)		 33.7
(0.9)		 22.8
(−5.1)		 15.0
(−9.4)		 35.4
(1.9)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)		 −23
(−31)		 −5
(−21)		 6
(−14)		 21
(−6)		 36
(2)		 44
(7)		 42
(6)		 17
(−8)		 2
(−17)		 −2
(−19)		 −29
(−34)		 −29
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.36
(9.1)		 0.47
(11.9)		 1.44
(36.6)		 1.50
(38.1)		 2.75
(69.9)		 1.88
(47.8)		 1.89
(48)		 1.99
(50.5)		 1.09
(27.7)		 1.23
(31.2)		 1.14
(29)		 0.64
(16.3)		 16.39
(416.3)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.9
(22.6)		 7.8
(19.8)		 11.9
(30.2)		 7.8
(19.8)		 0.6
(1.5)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.9
(2.3)		 3.0
(7.6)		 12.2
(31)		 12.7
(32.3)		 65.7
(166.9)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[23]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880100—
1900738—
19101,37386.0%
19201,63619.2%
19302,01923.4%
19402,24411.1%
19503,37850.5%
196013,670304.7%
197026,46693.6%
198028,6318.2%
199033,68517.7%
200040,34019.8%
201041,7373.5%
Est. 201646,333[6]11.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]

As of the 2010 census, there were 41,737 people, 18,312 households, and 10,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,215.5 people per square mile (1,242.2/km²). There were 19,176 housing units at an average density of 1,497.2 per square mile (570.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.0% White, 2.2% Asian, 1.4% African American, 0.8% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 12.4% of the population.[25]

There were 18,312 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25, and the average family size was 2.93.[25]

The distribution of the population by age was 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.[25]

The median income for a household in the city was $54,512, and the median income for a family was $74,744. Males had a median income of $52,674 versus $40,297 for females. The city's per capita income was $33,889. About 7.4% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.[25]

Economy

As of 2013, 66.8% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% was in the armed forces, and 66.7% was in the civilian labor force with 61.2% employed and 5.5% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was: 44.4% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.0% in sales and office occupations; 17.8% in service occupations; 6.6% in production, transportation, and material moving; 6.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (20.1%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (14.1%); retail trade (11.2%).[25]

The cost of living in Littleton is average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 101.8.[26] As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $269,000, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,668 for housing units with a mortgage and $470 for those without, and the median gross rent was $902.[25]

Government

Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality with a council-manager form of government.[27][28] The city council makes policy for the city, approves the annual city budget, and determines annual property tax rates. The council consists of seven members. For representative purposes, the city is divided into four legislative districts with one council member elected from each for a four-year term. The three remaining council members are elected at-large, two for a four-year term and one for a two-year term. General elections for city council are held in odd-numbered years with four seats up for election. The council elects one member to serve as mayor and another to serve as mayor pro tempore.[29] The city manager implements the council's policies and oversees day-to-day administration of the city government and its departments.[27]

As the county seat, Littleton is the administrative center of Arapahoe County. The county government's main Administration Building is located in Littleton, and most county government departments base their operations in the city.[30]

Littleton lies mostly within Colorado's 6th U.S. Congressional District, but changes made to Colorado's congressional districts in 2012 put the extreme southwestern portion of the city into Colorado's 1st congressional district.[31] For the purposes of representation in the Colorado General Assembly, the city is located in the 26th and 30th districts of the Colorado Senate and the 3rd, 38th, and 43rd districts of the Colorado House of Representatives.[32]

ZIP codes

The place name “Littleton” is assigned to eleven ZIP codes which cover a vast area west, east, and south of the city much larger than the city itself. This area includes the following unincorporated communities:

In addition, an extreme southwest portion of Denver, the Marston neighborhood, is located in a ZIP code (80123) with “Littleton” as the preferred place name for use in mailing addresses, though “Denver” is also acceptable. The Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, also located in this ZIP code, is neither in Littleton[33] or Englewood, but in unincorporated Jefferson County.[34]

Education

Primary and secondary education

Colleges and universities

The Colorado Center for the Blind, a skills training program for blind teenagers and adults operated by the National Federation of the Blind, is located in Littleton.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Since July 2000, Littleton has been served by the Regional Transportation District's light rail system.

Culture

Arts and music

Events

Western Welcome Week
Since the late 1920s, Littleton has celebrated Western Welcome Week - an annual community celebration in the greater Littleton area. Western Welcome Week started in the late 1920s, and has been held every year since. Western Welcome Week includes over 40 events benefiting dozens of local civic and charitable organizations. Western Welcome Week

Candlelight Walk
The Candlelight Walk is a Littleton tradition, featuring an evening of holiday festivities, culminating in the illumination of the trees on Main Street.

Points of interest

Notable people

Composer, arranger and pianist Dave Grusin was born and raised in Littleton. He is the winner of an Academy Award and numerous Grammys.

Matt Stone attended Heritage High School in Littleton, and aspects of his animated television show South Park are loosely based on the city. The South Park series editor Thomas M. Vogt is from Littleton.

Former US Weekly and current Hollywood Reporter Editor in Chief Janice Min is from Littleton.

The YouTube comedy skit and gaming groups Cow Chop and The Creatures, who are both part of Rooster Teeth's Lets Play family, are based out of Littleton.

Several actors were born and raised in Littleton, including Emmy-nominated actress Molly Burnett from NBC's Days of Our Lives and Hollywood Heights star Cody Longo.

Actor Hayden Byerly, who plays Jude Jacob Adams Foster on the TV series The Fosters, was raised in Littleton until the age of ten.

Siblings Riker Lynch, Rydel Lynch, Rocky Lynch and Ross Lynch, who are best known as members of the pop-rock band R5, were born and raised in Littleton until they moved to Los Angeles in 2007.

Supergirl and Glee star Melissa Benoist was raised in Littleton.

Littleton is the present home of former San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky and IFBB professional bodybuilder Heather Armbrust.

Other notable Littleton natives include metallurgist James M. Hyde.

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  2. ↑ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
  3. ↑ "Mayors of Littleton". Littleton, CO. City of Littleton. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 25, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on January 1, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  10. ↑ http://www.littletongov.org/history/genhist.asp
  11. ↑ Eric W. Hickey (22 July 2003). Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime. SAGE Publications. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7619-2437-1.
    Seymour Bernard Sarason (1 January 2001). American Psychology & Schools: A Critique. Teachers College Press. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-8077-4087-3.
  12. 1 2 Ralph W. Larkin (1 January 2007). Comprehending Columbine. Temple University Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-59213-492-2.
  13. ↑ "Look Up a ZIP Code™". usps.com. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
  14. ↑ "School Web Sites". jeffcopublicschools.org. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  15. ↑ "High Schools". littletonpublicschools.net. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
  16. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  17. 1 2 3 "Littleton, CO". Google Maps. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Distance Calculator". Infoplease. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  19. ↑ "Physiographic Provinces of Colorado [Map]". Colorado Geological Survey. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  20. ↑ "General Map of Colorado". Colorado Life Zones. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  21. 1 2 "Colorado: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. August 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  22. ↑ "OMB Bulletin No. 13-01" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. 2013-02-28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  23. ↑ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  26. ↑ "Littleton, Colorado". City-Data.com. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  27. 1 2 "City Leadership". City of Littleton, Colorado. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  28. ↑ "2015 Budget". City of Littleton, Colorado. p. 4. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  29. ↑ "City Council". City of Littleton, Colorado. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  30. ↑ "County Locations". Arapahoe County, Colorado. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  31. ↑ "Find a Senator or Representative [Map]". Govtrack.us. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  32. ↑ "Colorado State Legislature". Open States. Sunlight Foundation. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  33. ↑ Jones, Rebecca. "Article: PRISON HAS A FIELD OF VISION.(Spotlight)." Rocky Mountain News. May 2, 1999. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
  34. ↑ "FCI Englewood Contact Information." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on July 28, 2010.
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