Brighton, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brighton, Colorado
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Brighton City Hall
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| Motto(s):
"What we value today is what we become tomorrow"
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Colorado |
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| Counties | Adams County seat Weld County |
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| Incorporated | September 1, 1887 | |
| Named for | Brighton Beach, New York | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Home rule municipality | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.536 sq mi (55.777 km2) | |
| • Land | 21.247 sq mi (55.030 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.288 sq mi (0.747 km2) | |
| Elevation | 5,023 ft (1,531 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 40,083 | |
| • Density | 1,887/sq mi (729/km2) | |
| • CSA | 3,623,560 (17th) | |
| • Front Range | 5,055,344 | |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
80601-80603
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| Area code(s) | 303, 720 | |
| FIPS code | 08-08675 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2409911 | |
| Highways |       |
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Brighton is a city in Colorado, United States. It is located in both Adams and Weld counties. Brighton is the main city, or county seat, of Adams County. It is also part of the larger Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area is a big group of cities and towns that are close to each other. In 2020, about 40,083 people lived in Brighton. Most of them lived in Adams County.
Contents
History of Brighton
Brighton started as a small community called Hughes. It was a stop for trains and a place for farmers. The first post office opened in 1871. Colorado became a state in 1876. Then, in 1879, Hughes was renamed Brighton. The town got its name from Brighton Beach, a famous place in New York.
Brighton officially became a town on September 1, 1887. Later, in 1901, Adams County was created. Brighton was chosen as its county seat.
Geography and Climate
Brighton is a suburb of Denver. It is located at these coordinates: 39°59′07″N 104°49′14″W / 39.9853°N 104.8205°W.
In 2020, the city covered an area of about 55.777 square kilometers (21.536 square miles). A small part of this area, about 0.747 square kilometers (0.288 square miles), is water.
Brighton's Climate
Brighton has a cold semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not a desert. It can get cold in winter and hot in summer.
| Climate data for Brighton, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
80 (27) |
82 (28) |
91 (33) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.4 (6.9) |
45.9 (7.7) |
55.9 (13.3) |
62.9 (17.2) |
71.9 (22.2) |
84.1 (28.9) |
90.0 (32.2) |
87.6 (30.9) |
79.8 (26.6) |
65.9 (18.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
44.0 (6.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.1 (−8.8) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
33.9 (1.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
52.4 (11.3) |
58.2 (14.6) |
56.4 (13.6) |
47.4 (8.6) |
35.0 (1.7) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
16.3 (−8.7) |
35.8 (2.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−24 (−31) |
−13 (−25) |
−8 (−22) |
19 (−7) |
34 (1) |
44 (7) |
41 (5) |
19 (−7) |
0 (−18) |
−14 (−26) |
−26 (−32) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.42 (11) |
0.43 (11) |
0.98 (25) |
1.77 (45) |
2.35 (60) |
1.41 (36) |
1.72 (44) |
1.77 (45) |
1.18 (30) |
1.02 (26) |
0.69 (18) |
0.37 (9.4) |
14.11 (360.4) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.2 (13) |
5.3 (13) |
6.0 (15) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.2 (8.1) |
5.8 (15) |
5.2 (13) |
34.5 (86.81) |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Population of Brighton
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 306 | — | |
| 1900 | 366 | 19.6% | |
| 1910 | 850 | 132.2% | |
| 1920 | 2,715 | 219.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,394 | 25.0% | |
| 1940 | 4,029 | 18.7% | |
| 1950 | 4,336 | 7.6% | |
| 1960 | 7,055 | 62.7% | |
| 1970 | 8,309 | 17.8% | |
| 1980 | 12,773 | 53.7% | |
| 1990 | 14,203 | 11.2% | |
| 2000 | 20,905 | 47.2% | |
| 2010 | 33,352 | 59.5% | |
| 2020 | 40,083 | 20.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Brighton has grown a lot over the years. In 2000, there were about 20,905 people living there. By 2020, the population had grown to over 40,000 people!
In 2000, about 40% of households in Brighton had children under 18. The average household had almost three people. The average family had over three people. The median age in the city was 32 years old. This means half the people were younger than 32, and half were older.
Brighton's Economy
Brighton is home to two factories that make parts for wind turbines. These factories are owned by a company called Vestas. One factory makes the long blades for the turbines. The other factory makes the nacelles, which are the parts that hold the main machinery of the wind turbine. These factories are very important for the city. They cost a lot to build and provide many jobs for people in Brighton.
The Prairie Center is a large shopping area in Brighton. It covers about 396 acres. It's designed to be a nice place for people to walk around and shop.
The Greater Brighton Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau helps local businesses. They have been doing this since 1955. They work to bring more shops and factories to Brighton. They also help promote Brighton as a place where people can visit farms and buy fresh produce. This is called "Agritourism." The Chamber opened a Visitors Center in 2020 to help tourists.
Education
Students in Brighton attend schools in School District 27J.
Notable People
Many interesting people have lived in Brighton, Colorado. Here are a few:
- Todd Helton (born 1973), a famous baseball player who played first base.
- John L. Kane Jr. (born 1937), a United States federal judge.
- Richard Ling (born 1954), a professor who studies media technology.
- Max Pfeffer, a leader at the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
- Dillon Serna (born 1994), a soccer player who plays midfield.
- Brian Shaw, a very strong American athlete known as a strongman.
Sister City
Brighton has a special connection with another city far away. This is called a sister city relationship.
Ziębice, in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
See also
In Spanish: Brighton (Colorado) para niños
