Monument, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monument, Colorado
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Looking west along 2nd Street
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| Motto(s):
"Proud of our past, confident of our future "
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Location of Monument in El Paso County, Colorado.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | El Paso |
| Incorporated (town) | June 2, 1879 !-- Area ---------------------> |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.91 sq mi (17.90 km2) |
| • Land | 6.86 sq mi (17.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,982 ft (2,128 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,399 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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12,088 |
| • Density | 1,179.80/sq mi (455.53/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
80132
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| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-51800 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413009 |
Monument is a growing town in Colorado, United States. It sits at the base of the Rampart Range mountains. Monument is part of the "Tri-Lakes area," along with Palmer Lake and Woodmoor.
The town is surrounded by nature. To the west is Pike National Forest. To the south are Colorado Springs and the United States Air Force Academy. Mountains like Bald Mountain are to the north. To the east are Black Forest and open plains.
Monument began as a stop for the Rio Grande Railroad in 1872. It became a town called Henry's Station in 1879. Later, its name changed to Monument. In 2020, about 10,399 people lived here. This was a big jump from 5,530 people in 2010.
Contents
History of Monument
The first settlers arrived in Monument around 1865. More people came when the Rio Grande Railroad opened a stop here in 1872. The town was officially formed on June 2, 1879. It was first named Henry's Station, after Henry Limbach, an important early settler.
Just three years later, the name changed to Monument. This new name came from Monument Creek and a rock formation called Monument Rock. The railroad helped the town grow by bringing in supplies. This allowed people to start businesses and build the community.
Geography and Location
Monument is located north of Colorado Springs. It is also east of the Rampart Range, which is part of the Rocky Mountains. Monument Creek flows through the town. It starts in the Rampart Range and goes south through Palmer Lake.
The town sits on the southern side of the Palmer Divide. This is a special land feature that separates two major river systems. Monument covers about 4.6 square miles (11.9 square kilometers) of land.
People of Monument
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 125 | — | |
| 1890 | 177 | 41.6% | |
| 1900 | 156 | −11.9% | |
| 1910 | 149 | −4.5% | |
| 1920 | 192 | 28.9% | |
| 1930 | 192 | 0.0% | |
| 1940 | 175 | −8.9% | |
| 1950 | 126 | −28.0% | |
| 1960 | 204 | 61.9% | |
| 1970 | 393 | 92.6% | |
| 1980 | 690 | 75.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,020 | 47.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,971 | 93.2% | |
| 2010 | 5,530 | 180.6% | |
| 2020 | 10,399 | 88.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Monument had 10,399 residents. This shows a lot of growth since 2000. Many families live in the town. About 45% of households have children under 18.
The people living in Monument come from many different backgrounds. Most residents are White. There are also people who identify as Black or African American, Native American, Asian, and other races. About 9% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino background. The average age in Monument is around 31 years old.
Education in Monument
Monument is known for its good schools. Families can choose from public schools, private schools, or charter schools. Many families also choose to homeschool their children.
The main public school system is Lewis-Palmer School District 38. Students in this district do very well on tests. Their ACT scores are about 20% higher than the state average. The district has two high schools: Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer.
There are also five public elementary schools and one public middle school. Monument Academy is a charter school that serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Community Organizations
Monument has many active community groups and organizations. People in the town support different churches, including Presbyterian, Catholic, and Lutheran.
Some special organizations in Monument include:
- The Pikes Peak Library District, which provides library services to Monument and nearby areas.
- Several Boy Scout Troops. One troop has a special flag that was on the Challenger Space Shuttle during its last flight.
- A local chapter of Kiwanis International, which helps children around the world.
- Friends of Monument Preserve, a group that works to protect local historical and natural lands.
- Tri-Lakes Cares, a volunteer group that helps people in need in the Tri-Lakes area.
Getting Around Monument
Interstate 25 runs north and south through Monument. This highway connects Monument to Denver and Colorado Springs. A part of this highway, called Monument Hill, can be tricky to drive on in winter due to snow.
State Highway 105 also goes through Monument, running east and west. It connects to other towns and highways.
A railway line also runs through Monument, next to Interstate 25. It is mostly used for carrying coal. Passenger trains used to run here but stopped in 1971. There is a project called Front Range Passenger Rail Project that hopes to bring passenger trains back to the area.
For public transport, Monument has a park and ride bus stop for the Bustang service. This bus connects Monument to other cities in Colorado. Rideshare services like Lyft and Uber are also available.
Climate and Weather
Monument has a climate with warm, somewhat rainy summers and cold, snowy winters. The air often feels dry because of low dew point levels.
Monument is located on the southern slope of Monument Hill. This area is part of the Front Range urban corridor. Because of its high elevation, Monument gets a lot of snow. It receives about 110 inches of snow each year. This is much more than nearby Colorado Springs (33 inches) or Denver (56 inches).
| Climate data for Monument, Colorado. (data from 1988-2003) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
66 (19) |
73 (23) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
38 (3) |
35 (2) |
20 (−7) |
−4 (−20) |
−9 (−23) |
−27 (−33) |
98 (37) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.2 (5.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
49.8 (9.9) |
56.3 (13.5) |
66.0 (18.9) |
77.5 (25.3) |
81.5 (27.5) |
79.7 (26.5) |
70.7 (21.5) |
60.7 (15.9) |
49.5 (9.7) |
40.4 (4.7) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.8 (−9.0) |
17.0 (−8.3) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
38.0 (3.3) |
47.1 (8.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
51.4 (10.8) |
43.8 (6.6) |
32.8 (0.4) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
32.4 (0.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−26 (−32) |
−9 (−23) |
0 (−18) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | −27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.83 (21) |
0.56 (14) |
2.30 (58) |
3.09 (78) |
2.52 (64) |
2.51 (64) |
2.79 (71) |
3.03 (77) |
1.62 (41) |
1.34 (34) |
1.41 (36) |
0.81 (21) |
22.81 (579) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 13.5 (34) |
10.0 (25) |
22.3 (57) |
22.4 (57) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
9.1 (23) |
15.9 (40) |
12.8 (33) |
110.6 (280.75) |
| Source: The Western Regional Climate Center | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Monument
Many interesting people have connections to Monument, Colorado. Some of them include:
- Kevin J. Anderson, a popular science fiction author.
- Jennifer Barringer, a professional runner and Olympian.
- Bobby Burling, a professional soccer player for MLS. He went to Lewis-Palmer High School.
- Adrian Carrio, a racing car driver.
- Pat Garrity, a former NBA basketball player.
- Robert Liparulo, a writer of thrilling novels.
- Jennifer Sipes, an actress and model who was born in Monument.
- Paige Spiranac, a professional golfer and model.
- Matthew Ward, a Christian musician.
See also
In Spanish: Monument (Colorado) para niños
