Arapahoe County, Colorado

Arapahoe County (/əˈræpəhoʊ/ ə-RAP-ə-hoh) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, its population was 572,003,[3] making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton,[4] and the most populous city is Aurora. The county was named for the Arapaho Native American tribe, who once lived in the region.[1]

Arapahoe County
U.S. county
Little Dry Creek in Englewood
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°38′N 104°20′W
Country United States
State Colorado
FoundedNovember 1, 1861
Named forThe Arapaho Nation[1]
SeatLittleton
Largest cityAurora
Area
 • Total805 sq mi (2,080 km2)
 • Land798 sq mi (2,070 km2)
 • Water7.3 sq mi (19 km2)  0.9%%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total572,003[2]
 • Density806/sq mi (234/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districts1st, 4th, 6th
Websitewww.co.arapahoe.co.us
Third most populous Colorado county

Arapahoe County is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metropolitan statistical area. Arapahoe County calls itself "Colorado's First County", since its origins antedate the Pike's Peak Gold Rush.

History

On August 25, 1855, the Kansas Territorial Legislature created a huge Arapahoe County to govern the entire western portion of the Territory of Kansas. The county was named for the Arapaho Nation, who lived in the region.[1]

In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County (in present-day Englewood). This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory, including a smaller Arapahoe County. Denver City served as the county seat of Arapahoe County.

The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, and when the State of Kansas was admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, the mining regions temporarily reverted to unorganized territory. On February 28, 1861, Congress passed an act organizing the Territory of Colorado, using present-day borders.[5] On November 1, 1861, the Colorado Territorial Assembly organized the 17 original counties of Colorado, including a new Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County originally stretched from the line of present-day Sheridan Boulevard 160 miles (258 km) east to the Kansas border, and from the line of present-day County Line Road 30 miles (48 km) north to the 40th parallel north (168th Avenue). Denver City served as the county seat of Arapahoe County until 1902.

In 1901, the Colorado General Assembly voted to split Arapahoe County into three parts - a new consolidated City and County of Denver, a new Adams County, and the remainder of the Arapahoe County to be renamed South Arapahoe County. A ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, subsequent legislation, and a referendum delayed the reorganization until November 15, 1902. Governor James Bradley Orman designated Littleton as the temporary county seat of South Arapahoe County. On April 11, 1903, the Colorado General Assembly changed the name of South Arapahoe County back to Arapahoe County. On November 8, 1904, Arapahoe County voters chose Littleton over Englewood by a vote of 1310 to 829 to be the permanent county seat.

Geography
The contemporary Arapahoe County Courthouse is in Dove Valley.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 805 square miles (2,080 km2), of which 798 square miles (2,070 km2) are land and 7.3 square miles (19 km2) (0.9%) are covered by water.[6] The county measures 72 mi (116 km) east-west and 4 to 12 mi (6 to 19 km) north-south.

Two exclaves of Arapahoe County are entirely surrounded by the City and County of Denver, the City of Glendale, and the Holly Hills neighborhood, a census-designated place.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

State park

Historic trails

Recreation trails

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18706,829—
188038,644465.9%
1890132,135241.9%
1900153,01715.8%
191010,263−93.3%
192013,76634.1%
193022,64764.5%
194032,15042.0%
195052,12562.1%
1960113,426117.6%
1970162,14242.9%
1980293,62181.1%
1990391,51133.3%
2000487,96724.6%
2010572,00317.2%
2019 (est.)656,590[7]14.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2015[3]

As of the census of 2000, 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families were residing in the county. The population density was 608 people/sq mi (235/km2). The 196,835 housing units averaged 245/sq mi (95/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.93% White, 7.67% African American, 0.66% Native American, 3.95% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 4.51% from other races, and 3.16% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 11.81% of the population .

Of the 190,909 households, 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were not families. About 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.70% under 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 33.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household was $53,570, and for a family was $63,875. Males had a median income of $41,601 versus $31,612 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,147. About 4.20% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 5.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Arapahoe County was once a Republican stronghold, and a classic bastion of suburban conservatism. However, demographic changes and population increases, especially around Aurora, have caused the county to become much more competitive since the 1990s. In 2008, the county swung over dramatically to support Barack Obama, who became the first Democrat to carry it since 1964, and only the second since 1936. It swung from a four-point win for George W. Bush in 2004 to a 13-point win for Obama in 2008. It voted for Obama by a similar margin in 2012, and provided much of Hillary Clinton's statewide margin in 2016 as Donald Trump failed to win even 40 percent of the vote in one of the worst showings for a Republican in the county's history. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry the county with over 60% of the vote since 1916.[12]

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[13]
Year Republican Democratic Others
2020 36.4% 127,323 61.0% 213,607 2.6% 9,253
2016 38.6% 117,053 52.8% 159,885 8.6% 26,110
2012 44.0% 125,588 53.9% 153,905 2.1% 6,023
2008 42.8% 113,868 55.7% 148,224 1.5% 4,064
2004 51.4% 119,475 47.5% 110,262 1.1% 2,628
2000 51.5% 97,768 43.5% 82,614 5.0% 9,560
1996 50.8% 82,778 41.9% 68,306 7.3% 11,912
1992 39.3% 72,221 36.2% 66,607 24.5% 45,107
1988 60.2% 95,926 38.4% 61,113 1.4% 2,206
1984 71.9% 107,556 26.7% 39,891 1.4% 2,107
1980 62.2% 79,594 23.6% 30,148 14.3% 18,238
1976 63.5% 63,154 33.9% 33,685 2.7% 2,687
1972 72.2% 52,283 25.7% 18,631 2.0% 1,462
1968 59.7% 33,712 32.9% 18,569 7.5% 4,238
1964 44.9% 23,071 54.4% 27,940 0.7% 347
1960 60.1% 26,379 39.6% 17,400 0.3% 137
1956 63.1% 19,716 36.3% 11,351 0.6% 176
1952 60.3% 15,402 38.6% 9,843 1.1% 289
1948 52.7% 7,943 46.2% 6,962 1.2% 175
1944 54.5% 9,057 45.1% 7,485 0.4% 69
1940 50.9% 7,988 48.2% 7,571 0.9% 137
1936 38.2% 4,272 58.1% 6,489 3.7% 410
1932 40.3% 4,287 54.5% 5,796 5.3% 559
1928 70.3% 6,086 28.4% 2,463 1.3% 110
1924 64.2% 4,267 18.2% 1,209 17.6% 1,167
1920 59.8% 2,930 35.8% 1,752 4.5% 218
1916 33.9% 1,443 62.3% 2,652 3.8% 160
1912 20.2% 765 36.3% 1,379 43.5% 1,652[14]
1908 50.5% 1,514 44.7% 1,340 4.8% 144
1904 62.9% 1,351 33.4% 717 3.6% 79
1900 42.1% 25,469 55.8% 33,754 2.0% 1,260
1896 12.3% 6,057 86.5% 42,521 1.1% 556
1892 48.1% 11,331 51.8% 12,222
1888 56.5% 11,541 40.7% 8,320 2.6% 547
1884 54.1% 7,133 40.3% 5,310 5.5% 725
1880 53.3% 4,214 45.3% 3,582 1.2% 102

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Former census-designated places

See also

References
  1. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 27.
  2. "U.S. Census website". U.S. Census Bureau. March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  3. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. "An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado" (PDF). Thirty-sixth United States Congress. 1861-02-28. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
  12. Mason, Kara. "LEFT TURN: Aurora, area suburbs veering left politically". Aurora Sentinel. Associated Press. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  13. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved 2011-06-11.
  14. There were 1,344 votes for the leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, followed by 267 votes for Socialist Eugene Debs, 40 votes for Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin, and 1 vote for Socialist Labor candidate Arthur E. Reimer.

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