Wheat Ridge, Colorado

Although Wheat Ridge is a relatively young incorporated city, it has a history based on agriculture and the community's location along regional travel routes. It grew from a popular rest stop for travelers during the Gold Rush of the late 1850s to an agricultural and suburban community known as the “Carnation City” in the mid 1900s. As the residential areas of unincorporated Jefferson County grew to provide housing to the Denver workforce during the 1950s, the major transportation corridors extending from Denver developed with commercial services. During that era, the formation of numerous utility and fire protection districts provided these unincorporated areas with urban services. Eventually, due to the increasing annexation pressure from nearby municipalities, Wheat Ridge incorporated in 1969.

Wheat Ridge is located at 39°45′58″N 105°04′38″W (39.7660980, -105.0772063) at an elevation of 5,459 feet (1,664 m).[4] Located at the junction of Interstate 70 and Colorado State Highway 391 in central Colorado, the city is immediately west of Denver and 66 miles (106 km) north-northwest of Colorado Springs.[6][7]

Wheat Ridge is located in the Colorado Piedmont on the western edge of the Great Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.[6][8][9] Clear Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, flows east then northeast through the city. Lena Gulch, a tributary of Clear Creek, flows northeast through the southwest part of the city.[6]

There are several small lakes and reservoirs in Wheat Ridge. Crown Hill Lake, Kestrel Pond, and North Henry Lee Reservoir are located in the south-central part of the city. West Lake, Tabor Lake, and Prospect Lake are located along Clear Creek in the west-central part of the city.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.55 square miles (24.7 km²) of which 9.30 square miles (24.1 km²) is land and 0.25 square miles (0.65 km²) of it (2.6%) is water.[10]

As a suburb of Denver, Wheat Ridge is part of both the greater Denver metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.[11] It borders other communities on all sides including: Arvada to the north; Lakeside, Mountain View, and Denver to the east; Edgewater to the southeast; Lakewood to the south; Applewood to the southwest; and Fairmount to the northwest.[10]

As of the 2010 census, there were 30,166 people, 13,976 households, and 7,489 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,243.7 people per square mile (1,251.7/km²). There were 14,868 housing units at an average density of 1,598.7 per square mile (616.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.6% White, 1.6% Asian, 1.2% African American, 1.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.9% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 20.9% of the population.[15]

There were 13,976 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.81.[15]

The distribution of the population by age was 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.7 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.[15]

The median income for a household in the city was $47,014, and the median income for a family was $59,275. Males had a median income of $45,655 versus $36,741 for females. The city's per capita income was $28,372. About 8.7% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.[15]

As of 2013, 65.2% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.2% was in the armed forces, and 65.0% was in the civilian labor force with 58.7% employed and 6.3% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was: 37.3% in management, business, science, and arts; 26.2% in sales and office occupations; 18.5% in service occupations; 10.6% in production, transportation, and material moving; 7.4% 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 (21.4%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (12.3%); retail trade (12.1%).[15]

The cost of living in Wheat Ridge is above average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 108.5.[16] As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $237,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,556 for housing units with a mortgage and $406 for those without, and the median gross rent was $820.[15]

Wheat Ridge has seen a resurgence in community development efforts focused on improving the social connections between community members as well as improving the built environment in the city to better facilitate these connections.

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Wheat Ridge include Atlanta Braves pitcher Mark Melancon, actor and singer Dean Reed,[20] Jolly Rancher founders Bill and Dorothy Harmsen,[21] and U.S. Olympic cyclist Linda Brenneman.[22]

• Outline of Colorado
  • Index of Colorado-related articles
• State of Colorado
  • Colorado cities and towns
    • Colorado municipalities
  • Colorado counties
    • Jefferson County, Colorado
      • Jefferson County R-1 School District
  • Colorado metropolitan areas
    • Front Range Urban Corridor
    • North Central Colorado Urban Area
    • Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area
    • Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area

• City of Wheat Ridge
• CDOT map of Wheat Ridge
• Wheat Ridge Historical Society