Erie, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Erie, Colorado
Home Rule Town
Town of Erie
Motto(s):  Your Future is Here expERIEnce
Where Erie is located in Boulder and Weld counties, Colorado.
Erie, Colorado Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Weld County Boulder County
Settled	1867
Incorporated	November 16, 1874
Government
• Type	Home Rule Town
Area
• Total	51.379 km2 (19.838 sq mi)
• Land	51.118 km2 (19.737 sq mi)
• Water	0.261 km2 (0.101 sq mi)
Elevation	1,546 m (5,072 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	30,038
• Density	584.636/km2 (1,514.20/sq mi)
• CSA	3,623,560 (17th)
• Front Range	5,055,344
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP codes	80514 & 80516
Area code(s)	Both 303 and 720
FIPS code	08-24950
GNIS feature ID	2412599
Most populous Colorado Statutory Town

Erie is a town in Colorado, United States. It's located in both Weld County and Boulder County. The town is called a "Home Rule Town." This means it has the power to govern itself on local matters.

In 2020, about 30,038 people lived in Erie. This was a big increase since 2010. Most residents (58%) live in Weld County, and 42% live in Boulder County. Erie is part of a larger area called the Denver-Aurora Combined Statistical Area. It's also part of the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Erie is located near Interstate 25. This highway makes it easy to get to other major roads like Interstate 70. It's also simple to reach the Denver International Airport. The town's planning area is about 48 square miles. It stretches between State Highway 52 and State Highway 7. It's also between US 287 and Interstate 25. Erie is about 35 minutes from Denver International Airport. It's 25 minutes from Denver and 20 minutes from Boulder.

The town was named after Erie, Pennsylvania. This was the former home of an early settler named Richard Van Valkenburg.

History of Erie

When Was Erie Founded?

Erie was settled and named in 1867. However, it didn't officially become a town until November 16, 1874. The first group of leaders, called the board of trustees, had five important community members. These included George Meller, Richard Van Valkenburg, John T. Williams, Joseph J. Wharton, and John A. Rowe. Erie was special compared to other coal mining towns nearby. In Erie, the coal miners actually owned land or houses. They didn't just live in temporary camps.

How Coal Mining Shaped Erie

Coal was found in the Erie area in the 1860s. By 1870, train service was available. The Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad helped transport goods. In 1871, the Denver & Boulder Valley Railroad was built. This connected Boulder and Brighton. The railroad made it much easier to move coal. This helped the town grow quickly. Even though locals mined coal in the 1860s, the first official mine opened in 1876. It was run by Ira Austin.

Schools and Education in Erie

The first school in Erie started in 1874. It had 33 students. The first school building was built in 1881. By then, 100 students were enrolled. In 1907, a larger brick building called Lincoln School replaced it. This school soon became too small. Four new rooms were added in 1920. The overcrowding problem was solved in 1929. A new high school was built. Eventually, Lincoln School was no longer used. A new elementary school was built in 1966.

Community Life and Services

The first church in Erie was the Welsh Presbyterian Church. It was built in 1883. Services were held in Welsh. By 1888, there was a United Methodist Church. In 1898, the St. Scholasticas Catholic Church was dedicated. The first newspaper, the Erie-Canfield Independent, started in 1884. It was founded by Charles D. Bell. It published until 1896. The Erie Herald began in 1907. It lasted much longer than other newspapers. It served the community until 1948.

Erie was known as one of the only "wet" towns in the area. This meant it allowed alcohol. By 1895, it had eleven saloons on Briggs Street. Because of this, a jail was built in 1876. A constable was also needed to keep order. The earliest known constable was B.C. "Bud" Pitchford. Erie faced major floods in 1890, 1921, and 1972. These floods caused a lot of damage. After the 1972 flood, a protective wall, called a dike, was built around nearby Coal Creek. Erie was also hit hard by economic problems. These included the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression. The Great Depression led to less coal being produced. After World War II, the demand for coal dropped. Most mines in Erie closed by 1960. The last one, the Eagle Mine, closed in 1978.

Geography of Erie

Erie is located in the southwest part of Weld County. It also extends west into eastern Boulder County. To the south, it borders the city of Broomfield. To the southwest, it borders Lafayette. Interstate 25 forms part of Erie's eastern border. This highway goes south about 22 miles to downtown Denver. It goes north about 41 miles to Fort Collins. You can get to Erie from Exit 232 on I-25.

In 2020, the town covered about 51.379 square kilometers (19.838 sq mi). This area included about 0.261 square kilometers (0.101 sq mi) of water.

Population and People

In 2010, there were 18,186 people living in Erie. Most residents (90.6%) were White. About 4.1% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 9.7% of the population.

There were 6,485 households in Erie. The average household had about 2.91 people.

The population of Erie includes people of all ages:

• Under 5 years: 9.6%
• 5 to 9 years: 10.3%
• 10 to 14 years: 7.4%
• 15 to 19 years: 5.4%
• 20 to 24 years: 2.7%
• 25 to 29 years: 4.9%
• 30 to 34 years: 8.1%
• 35 to 39 years: 10.4%
• 40 to 44 years: 9.8%
• 45 to 49 years: 8.5%
• 50 to 54 years: 7.25%
• 55 to 59 years: 5.5%
• 60 to 64 years: 4.5%
• 65 to 69 years: 2.5%
• 70 to 74 years: 1.4%
• 75 to 79 years: 0.9%
• 80 to 84 years: 0.5%
• 85 and older: 0.35%

The average income for a household in Erie was $99,804. For families, it was $108,058. The average income per person was $38,965.

Arts and Culture in Erie

Erie has many active artists. The Arts Coalition of Erie is a group that represents about 70 artists. This is about 60% of the artists in town. There are good places to see art. These include the Erie Community Center and the High Plains Library. Art shows change about every two months.

The Art Center of Erie (A.C.E.) is located at 625 Pierce Street in Old Town Erie. It offers visual and performing arts programs. The Arts Coalition of Erie runs it. Classes and events happen all year long at this location. It used to be an old children's library. The Town of Erie owns the building.

Transportation in Erie

Erie has its own airport, called the Erie Municipal Airport. Even though there's an airport, no major highways or interstates go directly through Erie. Interstate 25, State Highway 7, and State Highway 52 are the main roads for getting around Erie.

See also

In Spanish: Erie (Colorado) para niños