Idaho Springs, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Idaho Springs, Colorado
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| City of Idaho Springs | |
Aerial view from the east in 2006
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| Motto(s):
“Where The Gold Rush Began”
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Location in Clear Creek County, Colorado
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 Idaho Springs, Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Clear Creek County |
| City | Idaho Springs |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Incorporated | 1885-11-15 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.28 sq mi (5.92 km2) |
| • Land | 2.25 sq mi (5.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,526 ft (2,294 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,782 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
80452
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| Area code(s) | 303 and 720 |
| FIPS code | 08-38370 |
| GNIS feature ID | 204710 |
The City of Idaho Springs is a city in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest town in the county. Idaho Springs is part of the larger Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, about 1,782 people lived there.
Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon. This is a mountain area west of Denver, about 30 miles away.
The town was started in 1859 by people looking for gold. This was during the early days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Idaho Springs became a major mining center in the late 1800s. The Argo Tunnel helped miners reach many gold veins.
Later, Idaho Springs became a popular place for tourists. It is located along U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 40. These highways go through the old mining area.
Today, the town is built along Interstate 70. It has a historic downtown, tourist shops, and homes. Many people who work at the Loveland Ski Area live here. Even though Idaho Springs is the biggest town, Georgetown is still the county seat.
Contents
History of Idaho Springs
On January 5, 1859, a gold prospector named George A. Jackson found gold in Idaho Springs. This was during the Colorado gold rush. He found the gold where Chicago Creek meets Clear Creek. This was the first big gold discovery in Colorado.
Jackson had experience from the California Gold Rush. He was drawn to the area by steam from nearby hot springs. He kept his discovery a secret for a few months. But when he paid for supplies with gold, others rushed to his digging site.
The place was first called "Jackson's Diggings." Later, it became a permanent town and was called "Sacramento City," "Idahoe," "Idaho," "Idaho City," and finally "Idaho Springs."
After finding gold in the creeks, miners soon found gold veins in the canyon rocks. Hard rock mining became very important for the town. This continued long after the easy-to-find gold in the gravel was gone.
In May 1903, miners in Idaho Springs went on strike. They wanted an eight-hour day for their work. This was part of a larger movement called the Colorado Labor Wars. Miners wanted better working conditions from the mining companies.
Idaho Springs has also been featured in movies. The 1969 film Downhill Racer showed an alpine ski racer from Idaho Springs. A short scene was filmed there. Also, parts of the comedy film The Overbrook Brothers were filmed here in 2008.
Geography and Climate
Idaho Springs is located in the northeastern part of Clear Creek County. It sits along Clear Creek, where Chicago Creek flows into it.
The city covers about 2.28 square miles (5.92 square kilometers). A small part of this area, about 0.03 square miles (0.09 square kilometers), is water.
Weather in Idaho Springs
Idaho Springs has a humid continental climate. This means it has cold winters and warm summers with cool nights. The area gets a lot of snow, about 72 inches (183 cm) each year.
It's interesting that Idaho Springs gets a fairly even amount of rain and snow throughout the year. On average, about 40 inches of precipitation fall annually.
| Climate data for Idaho Springs, Colorado (Elevation 7,555ft) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
67 (19) |
73 (23) |
78 (26) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
93 (34) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
83 (28) |
73 (23) |
66 (19) |
95 (35) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.8 (3.8) |
40.9 (4.9) |
45.5 (7.5) |
53.6 (12.0) |
62.1 (16.7) |
72.8 (22.7) |
77.4 (25.2) |
76.1 (24.5) |
69.8 (21.0) |
59.3 (15.2) |
47.3 (8.5) |
39.9 (4.4) |
57.0 (13.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.1 (−9.4) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
34.4 (1.3) |
41.8 (5.4) |
47.6 (8.7) |
46.4 (8.0) |
39.1 (3.9) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −32 (−36) |
−29 (−34) |
−23 (−31) |
−6 (−21) |
8 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
28 (−2) |
28 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
−5 (−21) |
−21 (−29) |
−24 (−31) |
−32 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.33 (8.4) |
0.50 (13) |
0.90 (23) |
1.78 (45) |
1.94 (49) |
1.50 (38) |
2.59 (66) |
2.05 (52) |
1.36 (35) |
0.99 (25) |
0.64 (16) |
0.47 (12) |
15.05 (382) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.4 (14) |
8.5 (22) |
12.3 (31) |
15.1 (38) |
5.2 (13) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.9 (4.8) |
7.4 (19) |
8.6 (22) |
7.2 (18) |
72.0 (183) |
| Source: The Western Regional Climate Center | |||||||||||||
Population of Idaho Springs
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 229 | — | |
| 1880 | 733 | 220.1% | |
| 1890 | 1,338 | 82.5% | |
| 1900 | 2,502 | 87.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,154 | −13.9% | |
| 1920 | 1,192 | −44.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,207 | 1.3% | |
| 1940 | 2,112 | 75.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,769 | −16.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,480 | −16.3% | |
| 1970 | 2,003 | 35.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,077 | 3.7% | |
| 1990 | 1,834 | −11.7% | |
| 2000 | 1,889 | 3.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,717 | −9.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,782 | 3.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The table shows how the population of Idaho Springs has changed over the years. In 2020, the city had 1,782 residents.
Education in Idaho Springs
Public schools in Idaho Springs are part of the Clear Creek School District RE-1. The district has two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one charter school. Students attend Clear Creek High School.
Carlson Elementary School is located right in Idaho Springs.
The Interim Superintendent of Schools is Karen Quanbeck.
Culture and Transportation
Idaho Springs is famous for being the birthplace of Colorado-style pizza.
The city is also part of the Colorado Department of Transportation's Bustang network. This is a bus service that connects Denver to Grand Junction, with a stop in Idaho Springs.
Notable People from Idaho Springs
Many interesting people have connections to Idaho Springs, including:
- Gus Alberts, a Major League Baseball player
- Joseph H. August, a cinematographer (someone who films movies)
- Warren A. Haggott, a U.S. Representative from Colorado
- Paul M. Lewis, an entrepreneur and car builder
- Pete Morrison, a silent western film actor
- Haleigh Washington, an Olympic Gold medalist in Women’s Volleyball from the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Jennifer Whalen, a professional mountain bike racer
Places to Visit
Idaho Springs has several interesting places to visit:
- Argo Gold Mine and Mill - You can take tours of this old mill and museum.
- Statue of cartoon character Steve Canyon - A fun landmark to see.
- The Charlie Taylor Water Wheel - This large water wheel was built in 1893 by a miner named Charlie Taylor. It was used to power a stamp mill (a machine for crushing ore). It was moved to its current spot in 1948 and fixed up in 1988. It gets water from Bridal Veil Falls, a small waterfall you can see from I-70.
- Mount Blue Sky - This mountain is about 28 miles south of Idaho Springs and offers amazing views.
- Indian Hot Springs - Natural hot springs where you can relax.
See also
In Spanish: Idaho Springs (Colorado) para niños
