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Broomfield, Colorado

Coordinates: 39°55′14″N 105°05′12″W / 39.9205°N 105.0867°W / 39.9205; -105.0867 (Broomfield, Colorado)
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Broomfield
Consolidated city and county[1]
Flag of Broomfield
Flag
Official seal of Broomfield
Seal
Location of the City and County of Broomfield in Colorado
Location of the City and County of Broomfield in Colorado
Broomfield is located in the United States
Broomfield
Broomfield
Location of the City and County of Broomfield in the United States
Coordinates: 39°55′14″N 105°05′12″W / 39.9205°N 105.0867°W / 39.9205; -105.0867 (Broomfield, Colorado)[3]
Country United States
State Colorado
City and CountyBroomfield[2]
IncorporatedJune 6, 1961[4]
ConsolidatedNovember 15, 2001
Named forThe broomcorn once grown in the area
Government
 • TypeConsolidated city and county[1]
 • MayorGuyleen Castriotta[5]
Area
[6]
 • Total
33.548 sq mi (86.890 km2)
 • Land32.968 sq mi (85.387 km2)
 • Water0.580 sq mi (1.503 km2)
Elevation
[3]
5,391 ft (1,643 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total
74,112
 • Estimate 
(2023)
76,860 Increase
 • Density2,200/sq mi (850/km2)
 • Metro
2,963,821 (19th)
 • CSA
3,623,560 (17th)
 • Front Range
5,055,344
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP codes[7]
80020, 80021, 80023,
80038 (PO Box)
Area code303 and 720
FIPS code08-09280
GNIS ID2409919[8]
Websitewww.broomfield.org

Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado.[1] It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10–13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. Broomfield's population was 74,112 at the 2020 United States Census,[9] making it the 15th most populous municipality and the 12th most populous county in Colorado. Broomfield is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range urban corridor.

History

[edit]

The Broomfield, Colorado, post office opened on September 26, 1884.[10] Historians speculate that the town was named for the sorghum grown in the area, also known as broomcorn, which had stalks that were sold to make brooms and whisk brooms.[11]

Several railroads figure in the development of this area. The Colorado Central Railroad built a narrow-gauge line from Golden in 1873, the Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad arrived in 1881, and the Denver, Marshall and Boulder Railway built a line through what is now Broomfield in 1886. The Denver, Utah and Pacific was widened to standard gauge in 1889. One of the early names for the area was Zang's Spur, after the railroad spur serving Adolph Zang's grain fields.[12]

The Denver-Boulder Turnpike was constructed through the Broomfield area to speed automobile travel between the state capital of Denver and the university city of Boulder. Construction of the toll road began in 1950 and the turnpike was opened to traffic on January 19, 1952, with the sole toll plaza at Broomfield with access to U.S. highway route 287 through the town.[13] The toll to travel from Federal Boulevard in Adams County to Broomfield was 10 cents and the toll from Broomfield to Boulder was 15 cents, or 25 cents for the whole route.[13]

The City of Broomfield was incorporated on June 6, 1961, in the southeastern corner of Boulder County.[4] The Denver-Boulder Turnpike was a popular commuting route and Broomfield became a popular residential area. On September 14, 1967, having paid off its construction and operating expenses, the turnpike was made free and became the official route of U.S. highway route 36 between Denver, Boulder, and Rocky Mountain National Park. The turnpike became the first public toll road in the United States to become free.[13]

In the 1990s, after three decades of aggressive annexation, the City of Broomfield had expanded into Adams, Jefferson, and Weld counties in addition to Boulder.[14] City leaders felt increasing chagrin with the need to deal with four different county governments, four separate county sales tax bases, and four separate court districts. They began pushing to make Broomfield a consolidated city-county similar to Denver, reasoning that they could provide services more responsively if Broomfield had its own county government.

The city sought an amendment to the state constitution to create a new county. The amendment was passed in 1998, after which a three-year transition period followed.

On November 15, 2001, Broomfield County became the 64th and least extensive county of Colorado. It is the newest county in Colorado (and in the entire United States, if county equivalents are not included).[15]

Geography

[edit]

Broomfield is located midway between Denver and Boulder along U.S. highway routes 36 and 287 at coordinates 39°55′14″N 105°05′12″W / 39.9205°N 105.0867°W / 39.9205; -105.0867 (Broomfield, Colorado).[3]

The elevation of Broomfield is 5,391 feet (1,643 m).[3] At the 2020 United States Census, Broomfield had a total area of 21,471 acres (86.890 km2), including 371 acres (1.503 km2) of water.[6] It is the smallest county by area in Colorado, and the 5th smallest in the United States.

Airport

[edit]

Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is located in Broomfield.

Major highways

[edit]

Adjacent counties

[edit]

Climate

[edit]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Broomfield has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it is in plant hardiness zone 6a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of −9.4 °F (−23.0 °C).[16]

Climate data for City and County of Broomfield, CO. Elevation 5407 ft
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 45.4
(7.4) 		47.5
(8.6) 		54.6
(12.6) 		62.3
(16.8) 		71.6
(22.0) 		81.9
(27.7) 		88.7
(31.5) 		86.2
(30.1) 		78.1
(25.6) 		65.8
(18.8) 		53.0
(11.7) 		44.7
(7.1) 		65.1
(18.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 18.3
(−7.6) 		20.2
(−6.6) 		27.0
(−2.8) 		33.8
(1.0) 		43.0
(6.1) 		51.7
(10.9) 		57.6
(14.2) 		56.2
(13.4) 		47.3
(8.5) 		35.9
(2.2) 		25.7
(−3.5) 		18.0
(−7.8) 		36.3
(2.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.44
(11) 		0.43
(11) 		1.64
(42) 		2.07
(53) 		2.26
(57) 		1.73
(44) 		1.76
(45) 		1.86
(47) 		1.26
(32) 		1.12
(28) 		0.87
(22) 		0.68
(17) 		16.12
(409)
Average relative humidity (%) 50.5 51.1 48.0 45.8 49.6 46.8 44.2 48.5 46.1 47.2 49.8 51.8 48.3
Average dew point °F (°C) 15.6
(−9.1) 		17.7
(−7.9) 		22.6
(−5.2) 		28.2
(−2.1) 		38.6
(3.7) 		45.8
(7.7) 		50.0
(10.0) 		50.8
(10.4) 		41.7
(5.4) 		31.4
(−0.3) 		22.2
(−5.4) 		15.6
(−9.1) 		31.8
(−0.1)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[17]

Ecology

[edit]

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Broomfield would have a Bouteloua/buffalograss (65, commonly known as grama grass) vegetation type and a shortgrass prairie (17) vegetation form.[18]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19604,535—
19707,26160.1%
198020,730185.5%
199024,63818.9%
200038,27255.3%
201055,88946.0%
202074,11232.6%
2023 (est.)76,860[19]3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Broomfield is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The 2020 census estimated there were 74,112 people living in Broomfield.[9] The population density was 2,248 people per square mile (868 people/km2), making it the second most densely populated county in Colorado behind Denver.[20] The racial makeup of the city was 76.0% White, 6.9% Asian, 1.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 10.9% from two or more races;[9] additionally, 13.4% were Hispanic or Latino[21] and, by 2023, 8.8% were foreign-born.[22]

In 2023, there were 33,563 households, of which 48.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% were cohabiting couple households, 18.7% had a male householder with no spouse/partner present, and 21.9% had a female householder with no spouse/partner present. 22.5% of households had one or more people under 18 years, and 25.6% of households had one or more people 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.28 people, and the average family size was 2.90 people.[22]

In 2023, age distribution figures showed 20.2% of residents under the age of 18 and 16.5% age 65 years or older.[19] The median age was 37.9 years and females made up 49.1% of the population.[19]

In 2023, the median household income in Broomfield was $112,139 and the median family income was $130,920.[23] The per capita income for the city was $59,679,[24] with 5.3% of the population living below the poverty line[25] and 2.7% without health care coverage.[26] By 2018–2022 estimates, Broomfield had the 3rd highest median household income among Colorado counties and the 40th highest in the United States;[27] for families, the median income was the 2nd highest among Colorado counties and the 18th highest in the United States.[28]

In 2023, the educational attainment of residents over age 25 included 97.0% being high school graduates (or higher), 58.8% holding a bachelor's degree (or higher), and 25.6% holding a graduate or professional degree.[29]

Politics

[edit]

When the county was formed in 2001, it was a swing county, and it has voted for the winner of Colorado's electoral votes since then. In the 2012 election, incumbent president and Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney by roughly five percentage points. In recent years, the county has trended towards the Democratic Party, in line with the rest of the Denver area. In 2016, it voted decisively for Hillary Clinton. Joe Biden won the county by a larger margin in 2020, and Kamala Harris won the county by an even larger margin in 2024.

As of December 1, 2024, among 55,578 active registered voters in Broomfield, 15,450 were Democrats, 10,539 were Republicans, and 28,532 were not affiliated with any party.[30]

United States presidential election results for Broomfield, Colorado
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 16,071 34.30% 29,426 62.81% 1,351 2.88%
2020 16,295 34.94% 29,077 62.35% 1,260 2.70%
2016 14,367 38.12% 19,731 52.35% 3,591 9.53%
2012 15,008 45.67% 16,966 51.62% 891 2.71%
2008 12,757 43.31% 16,168 54.89% 528 1.79%
2004 12,007 51.68% 10,935 47.06% 293 1.26%

Economy

[edit]
Company housing image for Monarch Mine in Broomfield, 1947

In the 1990s, Broomfield and other area suburbs experienced tremendous economic growth, much of it focused in technology.

The Flatiron Crossing Mall is a large shopping and entertainment center, anchored by Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, and Forever 21.

Crocs, Vail Resorts, MWH Global, Flatiron Construction, Webroot, Noodles & Company, WhiteWave Foods and Mrs. Fields are headquartered in Broomfield.

Top employers

[edit]

According to Broomfield's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[31] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Lumen Technologies 1,850
2 Oracle 1,620
3 SCL Health 1,530
4 Hunter Douglas 980
5 City and County of Broomfield 795
6 Vail Resorts 740
7 TSYS 580
8 DanoneWave Foods 570
9 Broadcom Inc. 500
10 VMWare 465

Media

[edit]

The Broomfield Enterprise is the local newspaper. KBDI-TV, the secondary PBS member station for the Denver area, is licensed to Broomfield.

Recreation

[edit]

Broomfield's recreational opportunities include the Paul Derda Recreation Center and pool, athletic fields, courts and rinks and open space and trails.[32][33]

Broomfield has an extensive trail system that connects the various lakes and parks. A scenic trail connects the Stearns Lake and the Josh's Pond memorial on the west side of town. Broomfield also has a 9/11 memorial containing a piece of a steel beam from one of the towers.

Broomfield also has a skate park with many different features such as bowls, a large half-pipe and several "street" obstacles.

The Broomfield Community Center (renovated in 2020) offers a wide variety of fitness classes, senior activities, and hosts swim meets and kids' camps for the whole city and county.

A few of the favorite outdoor activities of Broomfield residents are tennis and golf. There are a large number of golf courses and tennis courts open to the public. Broomfield Community Center also hosts other Denver metro cities in their center, mainly for pickleball games and tournaments.

Government

[edit]

Broomfield's leadership includes the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem, the City and County Manager, Attorney, and City Council members.[5]

Mayor

[edit]
  • Mayor — Guyleen Castriotta
  • Mayor Pro-Tem — Deven Shaff

City officials

[edit]
  • City and County Manager — Jennifer Hoffman
  • City and County Attorney — Nancy Rodgers
The Paul Derda Recreation Center

City Council members

[edit]
  • Ward 1
    • Kenny Nguyen
    • James Marsh-Holschen
  • Ward 2
    • Paloma Delgadillo
    • Austin Ward
  • Ward 3
    • Jean Lim
    • Deven Shaff
  • Ward 4
    • Bruce Leslie
    • Laurie Anderson
  • Ward 5
    • Heidi Henkel
    • Todd Cohen

Sheriff and county commissioners

[edit]

Broomfield operates as a consolidated city-county. The city council acts simultaneously as the board of county commissioners, and the police chief is simultaneously the county sheriff. The Broomfield Police Department performs all of the duties that would normally be performed by a county sheriff's office, including operating the county jail (detention center), providing security and bailiff services for the Broomfield Municipal, County, and District Courts and the Combined Courts Building, and providing civil process in the county. The police chief can be hired or fired at will by the city council, which makes Broomfield's sheriff, along with Denver's, the only non-elected sheriffs in the state.

Education

[edit]

Since Broomfield used to be divided among four counties, students living in the city were served by the separate school districts for their county.[citation needed] While the city is now united within one county, it is still separated among 6 school districts:[34]

Of Colorado's 10 largest school districts, 4 (Jefferson County, Adams 12 Five Star, St. Vrain Valley, and Boulder Valley)[35] have sections in Broomfield.

Broomfield features two large public high schools (Broomfield High School and Legacy High School), two public middle schools, and eight public elementary schools. There are four private schools: Brightmont Academy, a 1-to-1 school for all grade levels; Broomfield Academy, with an academic preschool, an elementary school, and a middle school; Holy Family, a Catholic high school; and Nativity of Our Lord Parish, a Catholic elementary school. Broomfield also contains two K–12 charter schools — Prospect Ridge Academy and Front Range Academy, which has two Broomfield campuses.

Notable people

[edit]

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Broomfield (or both) include:

Sister city

[edit]
See also: List of sister cities in Colorado

Broomfield has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Colorado Counties". State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Council Members and Leadership". City and County of Broomfield. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. November 29, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "ZIP Code™ Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Broomfield, Colorado
  9. ^ a b c "RACE. Decennial Census, DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171), Table P1". U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN 0-918654-42-4.
  11. ^ O'Connor, Colleen (April 27, 2016). "Broomfield's historic train depot evokes forgotten history in Colorado". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "History of Broomfield". City and County of Broomfield. City and County of Broomfield. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Salek, Matthew E. (November 17, 2013). "Colorado Highways: The Denver-Boulder Turnpike". Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  14. ^ "Broomfield with Legacy County Boundaries". City and County of Broomfield. City and County of Broomfield. May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  15. ^ "Substantial Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970-Present". U.S. Census Bureau. October 8, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  17. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". www.prism.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  18. ^ "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Data Basin. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  19. ^ a b c "Age and Sex. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S0101". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  20. ^ "2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  21. ^ "HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE. Decennial Census, DEC Demographic and Housing Characteristics, Table P9". U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, Table DP02". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  23. ^ "Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2023 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars). American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1901". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  24. ^ "Per Capita Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2023 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars). American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Tables, Table B19301". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  25. ^ "Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1701". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  26. ^ "Selected Characteristics of Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S2701". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  27. ^ "Income Table for Colorado Counties — Median household income". HDPulse: An Ecosystem of Minority Health and Health Disparities Resources. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  28. ^ "Income Table for Colorado Counties — Median family income". HDPulse: An Ecosystem of Minority Health and Health Disparities Resources. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  29. ^ "Educational Attainment. American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1501". U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "2024 Voter Registration Statistics — November statistics". Colorado Secretary of State. Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  31. ^ City and County of Broomfield 2020 CAFR
  32. ^ "Parks, Recreation and Senior Services". City and County of Broomfield. City and County of Broomfield. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  33. ^ "Open Space and Trails". City and County of Broomfield. City and County of Broomfield. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  34. ^ "School District Reference Map: Broomfield County, CO" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. December 17, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  35. ^ "Colorado public school enrollment declines slightly with 3,253 fewer students". Colorado Department of Education. January 18, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  36. ^ Boslough, Mark (November 30, 2014). "F-Bomb the N-Word Out of Existence". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  37. ^ "Brown comes home to Broomfield for Broomstock". Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  38. ^ "Dianne Primavera's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  39. ^ "Anna Prins". Iowa State Cyclones. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  40. ^ Russo, Vince (2010). Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1550228687.
  41. ^ "Steve Schmuhl". Indiana University Athletics. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  42. ^ "Mike Wilpolt". ArenaFan. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  43. ^ "Kitty Zingano". UFC. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  44. ^ "Our Sister Cities". Broomfield Sister Cities Organization. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  45. ^ "Membership Directory". Sister Cities International. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
[edit]
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