Clear Creek County, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clear Creek County
U.S. county
Alpine Hose, historic firehouse in Georgetown.
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	Clear Creek
Seat	Georgetown
Largest city	Idaho Springs
Area
• Total	396 sq mi (1,030 km2)
• Land	395 sq mi (1,020 km2)
• Water	1.3 sq mi (3 km2)  0.3%%
Population
• Estimate  (2020)	9,397
• Density	24/sq mi (9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Clear Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,397. The county seat is Georgetown.

Clear Creek County is part of the Denver metropolitan area.

History

Clear Creek County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Colorado legislature on 1 November 1861, and is one of only two counties (along with Gilpin) to have persisted with its original boundaries unchanged. It was named after Clear Creek, which runs down from the continental divide through the county. Idaho Springs was originally designated the county seat, but the county government was moved to Georgetown in 1867.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 396 square miles (1,030 km²), of which 395 square miles (1,020 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Jefferson County - east
• Gilpin County - northeast
• Park County - south
• Summit County - west
• Grand County - northwest

Major highways

• I-70
• US 6
• US 40
• SH 5
• SH 103
• Central City Parkway

National protected areas

• Pike National Forest
• Roosevelt National Forest
• James Peak Wilderness
• Mount Evans Wilderness

Scenic trails and byways

• American Discovery Trail
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• Grays Peak National Recreation Trail
• Mount Evans National Recreation Trail
• Guanella Pass Scenic Byway
• Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 9,322 people, 4,019 households, and 2,608 families living in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 5,128 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.37% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.73% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 3.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 4,019 households 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 27.20% of households were one person and 4.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81.

The age distribution was 22.60% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 32.20% from 45 to 64, and 7.10% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 108.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.20 males.

The median household income was $50,997 and the median family income was $61,400. Males had a median income of $41,667 versus $30,757 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,160. About 3.00% of families and 5.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.80% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Clear Creek County, Colorado

City

• Idaho Springs

Towns

• Empire
• Georgetown
• Silver Plume

Census-designated places

• Downieville-Lawson-Dumont
• Floyd Hill
• St. Mary's
• Upper Bear Creek

Historic areas

• Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park
• Georgetown-Silver Plume National Historic District

Images for kids

• 

  Crystalline gold specimen from the Dixie mine, Lamartine District, SW of Idaho Springs, Colorado. Size: 1.8 x 0.9 x 0.2 cm.