El Paso County, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Paso County
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El Paso County Justice Center
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Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
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 Colorado's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Colorado |
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| Founded | November 1, 1861 | ||
| Named for | Spanish name for The Pass | ||
| Seat | Colorado Springs | ||
| Largest city | Colorado Springs | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2,130 sq mi (5,500 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2,127 sq mi (5,510 km2) | ||
| • Water | 2.7 sq mi (7 km2) 0.1%% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 730,395 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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744,215  |
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| • Density | 342.9/sq mi (132.40/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 4th, 5th | ||
El Paso County is the most populous county located in the American state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 730,395, surpassing the City and County of Denver. The county seat is Colorado Springs, the second most populous city in Colorado. El Paso County is included in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory including El Paso County. El Paso County was named for the Spanish language name for Ute Pass north of Pikes Peak. Colorado City served as the county seat of El Paso County.
The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, but on February 28, 1861, U.S. President James Buchanan signed an act organizing the Territory of Colorado. El Paso County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Colorado legislature on November 1, 1861. Part of its western territory was broken off to create Teller County in 1899. Originally based in Old Colorado City (now part of Colorado Springs, not today's Colorado City between Pueblo and Walsenburg), El Paso County's county seat was moved to Colorado Springs in 1873.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,130 square miles (5,500 km2), of which 2,127 square miles (5,510 km2) are land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) (0.1%) are covered by water.
Adjacent counties
- Douglas County - north
- Elbert County - northeast
- Lincoln County - east
- Crowley County - southeast
- Pueblo County - south
- Fremont County - southwest
- Teller County - west
Major highways
Interstate 25
I-25 Bus. (Nevada Avenue)
U.S. Highway 24
U.S. Highway 85
State Highway 16 (Mesa Ridge Parkway)
State Highway 21 (Powers Boulevard)
State Highway 83 (In El Paso County, CO SH-83 begins with the intersection of CO SH-21)
State Highway 94
State Highway 105
State Highway 115
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National protected area
- Pike National Forest
State protected area
Historic sites
- Pikes Peak National Historic Landmark
- USAFA Cadet Area National Historic District
- Old Colorado City (National Register of Historic Districts)
- Manitou Springs (National Register of Historic Districts)
Trails
- American Discovery Trail
- Barr National Recreation Trail
- Bear Creek Cañon Park
- Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center
- Calhan Paint Mines
- Fountain Creek Nature Center
- The Incline
- New Santa Fe Trail
- Pikes Peak Greenway
- White House Ranch National Recreation Trail
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 987 | — | |
| 1880 | 7,949 | 705.4% | |
| 1890 | 21,239 | 167.2% | |
| 1900 | 31,602 | 48.8% | |
| 1910 | 43,321 | 37.1% | |
| 1920 | 44,027 | 1.6% | |
| 1930 | 49,570 | 12.6% | |
| 1940 | 54,025 | 9.0% | |
| 1950 | 74,523 | 37.9% | |
| 1960 | 143,742 | 92.9% | |
| 1970 | 235,972 | 64.2% | |
| 1980 | 309,424 | 31.1% | |
| 1990 | 397,014 | 28.3% | |
| 2000 | 516,929 | 30.2% | |
| 2010 | 622,263 | 20.4% | |
| 2020 | 730,395 | 17.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 744,215 | 19.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 730,395 people, 272,683 households, and 185,830 families residing in the county. The population density was 343.5 people per square mile (132.6 people/km2). There were 287,459 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.6% White, 6.9% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, and 5.4% from two or more races. About 18.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Education
K-12 Education
El Paso County is home to 17 public school districts, in addition to several private schools. In the 2023–2024 school year, Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 in Colorado Springs was ranked the #1 public school district in Colorado. Academy School District 20 (Colorado Springs) and Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (Monument) were ranked #8 and #10, respectively.
Higher Education
El Paso County is home to several colleges and universities. The United States Air Force Academy is located immediately north of Colorado Springs, serving as both a university and a functional U.S. Air Force base. Also in the county are the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs, Colorado College, Pikes Peak State College, Colorado Technical University, and IntelliTec College, all located in Colorado Springs.
Libraries
The Pikes Peak Library District provides library services through its 15 branches and bookmobiles to the residents of El Paso County, with the exception of Widefield School District 3. The mission of the District is "Providing resources and opportunities that impact individual lives and build community. Seek. Engage. Transform."
Military installations
El Paso County is home to Army, Air Force and Space Force bases. These military installations border Colorado Springs to the north, south, and east, aside from Schriever Space Force Base, which is located about 10 miles east of Peterson Space Force Base.
Fort Carson
Fort Carson, "The Mountain Post", is located just south of Colorado Springs at the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1942, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The city of Colorado Springs purchased land south of the city and donated it to the War Department. Construction began immediately and the first building, the camp headquarters, was completed January 31, 1942. Camp Carson was named in honor of the legendary Army scout Gen. Christopher "Kit" Carson, who explored much of the West in the 1800s. Camp Carson became Fort Carson in 1954. An additional training area was purchased in September 1983 and is called Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS).
Currently, Fort Carson is the home of 4th Infantry Division and several other units, including 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), the Colorado National Guard Regional Training Institute and PCMS, which is a maneuver training site for Fort Carson located near Trinidad, Colorado. The installation totals about 137,000 acres and PCMS is roughly 236,000 acres. Fort Carson has around 3,000 family housing units and 66 soldier barracks with 8,132 rooms. Services on the installation include four elementary schools, one middle school, a commissary, an exchange, and Evans Army Community Hospital, as well as Army Community Service facilities to include child development centers and youth centers and family morale, welfare, and recreation facilities to include a bowling alley, golf course, and numerous parks.
Fort Carson's economic impact on Colorado Springs and the surrounding communities was approximately $2.3 billion during fiscal year 2014. Fort Carson has about 24,300 soldiers on the installation, with 44,700 family members. The installation also has around 8,000 veterans and 3,300 civilians.
Peterson Space Force Base
The Space Force has critical aspects of their service based at Colorado Springs, which carry on missile defense operations and development. The Space Force bases a large section of its national missile defense operations here, with Peterson Space Force Base set to operate large sections of the program. The base is also home to Space Force's Space Operations Command, and to NORAD headquarters. Peterson SFB is currently the headquarters of the operations-half of Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command.
Peterson is also headquarters for the United States Northern Command, one of the Unified Combatant Commands, which directs all branches of the U.S. military operations in their area of responsibility, which includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, and Mexico. In the event of national emergencies, the President or Secretary of Defense can call upon the command for any required military assistance. Service members from every branch of the US military are stationed at the command.
Peterson SFB is the current, possibly temporary home for US Space Command, another Unified Combatant Command, whose area of operations is global operations occurring 50 miles or greater above the Earth.
Schriever Space Force Base (formerly Schriever AFB and Falcon AFB)
Schriever Space Force Base is home to several Space Force mission Deltas, responsible for the operation and support of 175 Department of Defense satellites and installation support to 16 major tenant units, with a workforce of more than 7,700 personnel. It is the location of the Global Positioning System (GPS) master control station and GPS Operations Center and the US Naval Observatory Alternate Master Clock, used to synchronize GPS satellite time. Schriever is also developing parts of national missile defense and runs parts of the annual wargames used by the nation's military. The base indirectly contributes an estimated $1 billion to the local Colorado Springs, CO area annually.
United States Air Force Academy
Bordering the northwestern side of the city are the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy, where cadets train to become officers in the Air Force and Space Force. The campus is famous for its unique chapel, and draws visitors year round. Most of the Air Force Academy's sports programs participate in the Mountain West Conference.
Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (formerly Air Force Station)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), headquartered on Peterson SFB, has a presence in Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station. When it was built at the height of the Cold War, NORAD caused some anxiety for the residents in and around Colorado Springs, who believed the installation would be a primary target during a nuclear attack. Although NORAD still operates today, it is primarily given the task of the tracking of ICBMs, and the military has recently decided to place Cheyenne Mountain's NORAD/NORTHCOM operations on warm standby and move operations to nearby Peterson Air Force Base.
Communities
Cities
- Colorado Springs (county seat)
- Fountain
- Manitou Springs
Towns
- Calhan
- Green Mountain Falls
- Monument
- Palmer Lake
- Ramah
Census-designated places
- Air Force Academy
- Black Forest
- Cascade-Chipita Park
- Cimarron Hills
- Ellicott
- Fort Carson
- Gleneagle
- Peyton
- Rock Creek Park
- Security-Widefield
- Stratmoor
- Woodmoor
Other unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de El Paso (Colorado) para niños
