Boulder County, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boulder County
U.S. county
Boulder County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Founded	November 1, 1861
Named for	large granite boulders in area
Seat	Boulder
Largest city	Boulder
Area
• Total	740 sq mi (1,900 km2)
• Land	726 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Water	14 sq mi (40 km2)  1.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	330,758
• Density	460/sq mi (176/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districts	2nd, 4th

Boulder County is a county in the state of Colorado in the United States. In 2020, about 330,758 people lived there. The biggest city and the main government center is Boulder.

Boulder County is part of a larger area called the Boulder, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area is also included in the bigger Denver–Aurora, Colorado Combined Statistical Area.

History of Boulder County

Boulder County was one of the first 17 counties created in the Territory of Colorado on November 1, 1861. It was named after Boulder City and Boulder Creek. These places got their names because of the many large boulders found in the creek. These boulders made it hard for early gold miners to find gold.

The borders of Boulder County are mostly the same as they were in 1861. However, in 2001, a part of its southeastern corner became part of the City and County of Broomfield.

Before the first US settlers arrived, Native American tribes lived in the area. Chief Niwot led tribes on the plains, and Utes lived in the mountains during certain seasons. The first European American settlers were gold prospectors led by Captain Thomas Aikins. His group settled near Boulder Creek Canyon in October 1858. Chief Niwot told them not to stay.

In February 1859, the settlers founded the town of Boulder. Around the same time, they also started the first gold mining town in Colorado, called Gold Hill. This town is about 10 miles west of Boulder. Gold Hill was important because a lot of gold was found there. It was the site of Colorado's first large-scale gold mine, which produced over 5,500 ounces of gold in its first year.

In December 2021, a very destructive fire called the Marshall Fire happened near Boulder, Colorado. This fire is known as the most damaging fire in Colorado's history. It affected the cities of Superior and Louisville, as well as other areas in Boulder County. The fire destroyed 991 homes and damaged 127 others. More than 13,000 people in Superior and 21,000 in Louisville had to leave their homes because of strong winds (up to 100 miles per hour) that spread the fire quickly. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Geography of Boulder County

A view from space showing Boulder County and nearby areas. The city of Boulder is near the bottom.

Boulder County covers a total area of about 740 square miles. Most of this (726 square miles) is land, and 14 square miles (1.9%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

• Larimer County, Colorado – to the north
• Weld County, Colorado – to the east
• City and County of Broomfield, Colorado – to the southeast
• Jefferson County, Colorado – to the south
• Gilpin County, Colorado – to the south
• Grand County, Colorado – to the west

Main Roads

• U.S. Highway 36 (also known as the Denver-Boulder Turnpike)
• U.S. Highway 287
• State Highway 7
• State Highway 42
• State Highway 52
• State Highway 66
• State Highway 72
• State Highway 93
• State Highway 119
• State Highway 170
• Northwest Parkway (a toll road)

Protected Natural Areas

• Arapaho National Forest
• Roosevelt National Forest
• Indian Peaks Wilderness
• James Peak Wilderness
• Rocky Mountain National Park (shared with Larimer and Grand Counties)
  • Longs Peak, the highest point in the park, is in Boulder County.

State Parks

• Eldorado Canyon State Park

Fun Trails and Drives

• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway

Historic Places

• Colorado Chautauqua National Historic District

People of Boulder County

In 2000, there were 271,651 people living in Boulder County. The population density was about 392 people per square mile. Most people (88.54%) were White. About 10.46% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in the county was 33 years old. In 2014, the average income for a family was $94,938.

In 2017, Bloomberg magazine said that the Boulder area was the top "brain" area in the US. This means it has a lot of smart and educated people.

Communities in Boulder County

Map of Boulder County, Colorado

Cities

• Boulder
• Lafayette
• Longmont (partly in Weld County)
• Louisville

Towns

• Erie (partly in Weld County)
• Jamestown
• Lyons
• Nederland
• Superior (partly in Jefferson County)
• Town of Ward

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Other Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or town.

• Caribou
• Canfield
• Gooding
• Hygiene
• Highland
• Liggett
• Morey
• Pinecliffe
• Pleasant View Ridge (partly in Weld County)
• Tabor

Education in Boulder County

Several school districts serve the students in Boulder County:

• Boulder Valley School District RE-2
• Estes Park School District R-3
• St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J
• Thompson School District R-2J

Images for kids

• 

  A wide view of Boulder and the mountains to the west.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Boulder para niños