Colorado City, Texas
Colorado City, Texas | |
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City | |
 Downtown Colorado City | |
 Location of Colorado City, Texas | |
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| Coordinates: 32°23′46″N 100°51′44″W / 32.39611°N 100.86222°WCoordinates: 32°23′46″N 100°51′44″W / 32.39611°N 100.86222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Mitchell |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Travis Lynch[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.33 sq mi (13.81 km2) |
| • Land | 5.33 sq mi (13.81 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,067 ft (630 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,146 |
| • Estimate (2019)[5] | 3,857 |
| • Density | 723.37/sq mi (279.28/km2) |
| • Demonym | Colorado Citian |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79512 |
| Area code(s) | 325 |
| FIPS code | 48-16120[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1333141[4] |
| Website | www.coloradocitytexas.org |
Colorado City (/ˌkɒləˈreɪdə/ KOL-ə-RAY-də)[6] is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Texas, United States.[7] Its population was 4,146 at the 2010 census.
History[]
Colorado City originated as a ranger camp in 1877. It grew into a cattlemen's center and has been called "the Mother City of West Texas". The town acquired a railway station and post office in 1881 and was named the county seat. In the early 1880s it was a center for cattle shipment, with herds driven to Colorado City and loaded onto trains for shipment to the eastern markets. The population was estimated at 6,000 in 1884-85, but dropped to 2,500 by 1890 after a drought, and dropped further with the growth of nearby San Angelo.
The first school was conducted in a dugout in 1881 and moved to a building the next year. During the late 19th and 20th century, economic activity centered successively on salt mining, then farming, then oil production. By 1910 the town had a new public school, a waterworks, and an electric plant. A city hall was built by 1926.[8]
An oil refinery began operation in 1924 and closed in 1969. Other industries included a meat-packing operation and a mobile home factory.[8]
In February 2021, residents were left without power or water during a winter storm.[9] Mayor Tim Boyd resigned after posting a controversial statement regarding the situation on his Facebook account, telling people to handle it on their own and "quit crying and looking for a handout," adding that only the strong would survive and the weak would perish.[10][11]
Geography[]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 sq mi (14 km2), all land. Colorado City is situated along the Colorado River to the west and Lone Wolf Creek to the east.
Climate[]
According to the Köppen climate classification, Colorado City has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.[12]
| hideClimate data for Colorado City 1981-2010, extremes 1898-2009 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 91 (33) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
110 (43) |
115 (46) |
112 (44) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
103 (39) |
91 (33) |
89 (32) |
115 (46) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 57.1 (13.9) |
61.6 (16.4) |
69.8 (21.0) |
79.7 (26.5) |
86.6 (30.3) |
91.9 (33.3) |
95.0 (35.0) |
94.7 (34.8) |
87.3 (30.7) |
78.4 (25.8) |
68.2 (20.1) |
57.5 (14.2) |
77.3 (25.2) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 28.3 (−2.1) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
40.1 (4.5) |
47.6 (8.7) |
58.6 (14.8) |
65.6 (18.7) |
69.5 (20.8) |
68.1 (20.1) |
60.6 (15.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
37.0 (2.8) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
48.8 (9.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −7 (−22) |
−1 (−18) |
8 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
27 (−3) |
42 (6) |
51 (11) |
51 (11) |
33 (1) |
22 (−6) |
3 (−16) |
2 (−17) |
−7 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.91 (23) |
1.54 (39) |
1.47 (37) |
1.31 (33) |
1.13 (29) |
3.49 (89) |
1.39 (35) |
2.11 (54) |
2.31 (59) |
2.54 (65) |
1.01 (26) |
1.11 (28) |
20.32 (517) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.5 (1.3) |
2.4 (6.12) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 51 |
| Source: WRCC for Colorado City | |||||||||||||
Demographics[]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 1,582 | — | |
| 1910 | 1,840 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,766 | −4.0% | |
| 1930 | 4,671 | 164.5% | |
| 1940 | 5,213 | 11.6% | |
| 1950 | 6,774 | 29.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,457 | −4.7% | |
| 1970 | 5,227 | −19.0% | |
| 1980 | 5,405 | 3.4% | |
| 1990 | 4,749 | −12.1% | |
| 2000 | 4,281 | −9.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,146 | −3.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 3,857 | [5] | −7.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2010, 4,146 people, 1,646 households, and 1,124 families resided in the city. The population density was 809.2 people per square mile (312.5/km2). There were 2,076 housing units at an average density of 392.4 per square mile (151.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 76.71% White, 5.09% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 14.62% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.25% of the population.
Of the 1,646 households, 34.2% had children under 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% 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 3.12.
In the city, the age distribution was 28.5% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,842, and for a family was $27,363. Males had a median income of $22,272 versus $20,037 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,591. About 18.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education[]
Colorado City is served by the Colorado Independent School District.
Notable people[]
- Martin Dies Jr., U.S. Congressman, was born in Colorado City.
- Don Maynard, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, graduated from Colorado High School.[14]
- U.S. Representative George H. Mahon was raised in Mitchell County and is honored with a statue in front of the courthouse.
- Margaret Formby is the founder of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth.[15]
References[]
- ^ "Welcome to Colorado City, TX". Colorado City. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2010-03-20. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Town Pronunciation Guide" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-26. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hunt, William R. "Colorado City, TX (Mitchell County)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Texas snow: Mayor quits after 'only strong will survive' post". BBC News. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
- ^ "Texas mayor quits after calling residents 'lazy' and 'weak' amid power outages from storm". KVIA. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ Burch, Jamie (2021-02-16). "Colorado City mayor resigns, responds to his controversial Facebook post". KTXS. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ "Climate Summary for Colorado City, Texas". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2017-12-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Clint Formby obituary". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colorado City, Texas. |
- Colorado City - Official website
- . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
| show Municipalities and communities of Mitchell County, Texas, United States |
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- Cities in Texas
- Cities in Mitchell County, Texas
- County seats in Texas