Springfield, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Springfield, Colorado
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Springfield town hall (2015)
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Location within Baca County and Colorado
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| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Baca |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Incorporated | January 16, 1889 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2) |
| • Land | 1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,370 ft (1,330 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,325 |
| • Density | 1,173/sq mi (453.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code |
81073
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| Area code | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-73330 |
| GNIS ID | 2413324 |
Springfield is a small town in Colorado, United States. It is the main town and county seat of Baca County. In 2020, about 1,325 people lived there. Springfield is known as a "statutory town," which means it follows specific state laws for how it is run.
Contents
A Look Back: Springfield's History
Springfield was founded in 1888. Two brothers, Frank and Jim Tipton, moved to Colorado in 1886. They bought 80 acres of land to start the town. They named it after Springfield, Missouri, because that's where they came from. The town officially became a legal town on January 16, 1889.
Where is Springfield? Geography and Climate
Springfield is in the northern part of Baca County. It is about 30 miles north of the Oklahoma state line.
Major roads like U.S. Routes 287 and 385 go right through the town. These roads connect Springfield to other cities. For example, they lead north to Lamar, Colorado, and south to Boise City, Oklahoma. Another road, U.S. Route 160, passes just south of town. It goes west to Trinidad, Colorado, and east to Johnson City, Kansas.
Springfield also has its own airport, the Springfield Municipal Airport. It is located four miles north of the town.
The town covers an area of about 1.13 square miles (2.9 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Springfield has a type of weather called a cool semi-arid climate. This means it's usually dry. Summers are hot, but mornings can be mild. Sometimes, there are heavy thunderstorms. Winters can change a lot, from warm and windy to very cold and still.
| Climate data for Springfield 7 WSW, Colorado (1971 to 2000; extremes 1956 to 2001) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
83 (28) |
90 (32) |
97 (36) |
104 (40) |
111 (44) |
109 (43) |
104 (40) |
101 (38) |
95 (35) |
86 (30) |
78 (26) |
111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.9 (7.2) |
50.1 (10.1) |
57.8 (14.3) |
66.3 (19.1) |
75.0 (23.9) |
86.3 (30.2) |
91.3 (32.9) |
88.8 (31.6) |
80.2 (26.8) |
69.7 (20.9) |
54.4 (12.4) |
45.3 (7.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.9 (−9.5) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
32.7 (0.4) |
43.2 (6.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
58.4 (14.7) |
57.4 (14.1) |
48.4 (9.1) |
36.8 (2.7) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
35.8 (2.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−22 (−30) |
−10 (−23) |
5 (−15) |
20 (−7) |
37 (3) |
44 (7) |
40 (4) |
21 (−6) |
6 (−14) |
−11 (−24) |
−18 (−28) |
−23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.47 (12) |
0.48 (12) |
1.16 (29) |
1.64 (42) |
2.86 (73) |
2.00 (51) |
2.49 (63) |
2.46 (62) |
1.37 (35) |
0.96 (24) |
0.73 (19) |
0.42 (11) |
17.04 (433) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.4 (14) |
4.4 (11) |
7.7 (20) |
3.3 (8.4) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.8 (4.6) |
4.4 (11) |
5.1 (13) |
33.5 (85.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 3.8 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 9.0 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 7.4 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 66.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 19.2 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Springfield? Population Facts
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 295 | — | |
| 1930 | 1,393 | 372.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,082 | −22.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,131 | 97.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,791 | −16.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,660 | −7.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,657 | −0.2% | |
| 1990 | 1,475 | −11.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,562 | 5.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,451 | −7.1% | |
| 2020 | 1,325 | −8.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, Springfield had 1,451 people living in 715 homes. About 23% of these homes had children under 18. Many homes were families, including married couples.
The average age of people in Springfield was 45 years old. About 21% of the population was under 18. About 26% of the people were 65 or older.
Learning in Springfield: Schools and Library
Springfield has schools for its young residents. Richard Hargrove is the superintendent and elementary principal. Ginger Walker is the high school principal. The town also has a public library where people can read and learn.
Famous Faces from Springfield
Some notable people have connections to Springfield.
- Alfred A. Arraj (1906–1992) was born here. He became a U.S. federal judge.
Want to Know More?
In Spanish: Springfield (Colorado) para niños
